Lakers News: Kobe Bryant Was The Childhood Hero For This Surprising Contemporary Player

Bryant was a major influence on this playoff team starter.

Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins has a date with the mighty Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs. His eighth-seeded Hawks bested the seventh-seeded Miami Heat 126-116 in their play-in game Tuesday to leapfrog into the East's seventh seed ahead of the playoffs proper.

The 6'9" Collins, a hyper-athletic big man, recently revealed to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports that one Hall of Famer had a bigger impact than anyone else: former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bean Bryant. 

"Man! I was a military kid growing up, and obviously I loved basketball. And there was no motto that signified Kobe, you know?" Collins said. "Kobe spoke to me on so many levels, but, being a military brat and hearing how Kobe spoke about his work, dedication and pride for the game and seeing the effort and the love that he played with on the court … I loved him from day one."

"It was just a feeling. And as I’ve gotten older and been able to hear him speak, that has motivated me in how I play the game. He’s just the ultimate inspiration of what hard can do, with being a leader and what perseverance really means, being loyal — all of the things that signify what it means to be a true basketball player and hooper."

"Kobe Bryant does that for me. He put on a show and didn't back down from anyone. That's just my favorite player. To see, hear and do anything that’s basketball-oriented is the Bean. Rest his soul."

Bryant of course passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in January 2020. He enjoyed a 20-year NBA career, spending every second of that career with your Lakers, and retired with five championships (and two Finals MVPs) to his name. He is widely considered one of the 15 best men's basketball players in history.

Collins has seen his role with Atlanta get reduced this season, thanks in large part to the arrival of 2022 All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray, who along with incumbent Hawks star point guard Trae Young has logged significant time with the rock in his hands. Across his 71 healthy games this season, the Wake Forest product is averaging 13.1 points on 50.8% shooting, the lowest offensive output since his 2017-18 rookie season. His 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists a night represent career lows (in the case of the assists, this year's average ties his previous low, in 2020-21).

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