Lakers hater Bill Simmons compares Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is worshipped in LA.

So anytime there is a comparison to the five-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers legend, especially from a self-proclaimed Boston Celtics superfan, one needs to tread carefully.

Talking to his longtime buddy Chuck Klosterman on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," the Pablo Torres bully Simmons brings it up when talking about how easily Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets to 30-plus points every game, even in the ratings disaster Oklahoma City Thunder-Indiana Pacers NBA Finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

"There's a case that he's already, at this point in his career, as good of a scorer as Kobe Bryant ever was," Simmons asserts, knowing already that what he's saying is sacrilege to all Lakers fans.

"But that's like a third rail. No one is allowed to go there yet because Kobe averaged 35 [points] a game in a season, and he's perceived as this.. other than [Michael] Jordan, the pinnacle of two-guard scorers. But I think what Shai is doing is on that level at this point."

Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal — The Desert Sun via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Klosterman counters that one of the things that made Bryant one of the greatest of all time was his sustained level of excellence over 15 years, as proven by being an All-NBA First Team member an astounding eleven times. SGA has now done that three years in a row.

SGA has now matched the Lakers icon as far as NBA MVPs, since the beloved shooting guard only one the award once in 2008.

SGA, still only 26, has plenty of work to do to be in Kobe's lofty stratosphere, most notably starting with winning his first NBA championship as the Thunder look to take down the Pacers as heavy favorites, currently tied 1-1 as of this posting.

In the meantime, Simmons gets to hate aggregators as much as Lakers fans despise some of his takes.

Former Team USA teammates Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant | Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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