Darryn Peterson makes Kobe Bryant admission ahead of rookie year with Jazz
The Washington Wizards kicked off the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting BYU star AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. He was the consensus top choice heading into the draft and was viewed by many as the most NBA-ready prospect in the class.
But the Utah Jazz got an absolute steal one pick later, selecting Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, considered the most talented player in the draft, at No. 2.
And now, he’s making it clear that Utah made the right decision. At his introductory press conference in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Peterson admitted that Kobe Bryant is his idol and wants to emulate his game after the Lakers legend, specifically on the defensive end.
“I would like to say I can be a lockdown defender,” Peterson said. “Obviously, I haven’t guarded the best players in the world yet, but I’m willing to take on this challenge. A 6-foot-10 wingspan, I think that can help me a bit, and just my effort. I might not be the fastest guy or the quickest guy, but my effort can take care of some of that. I’m a Kobe guy, so if he played both sides of the ball. That’s my idol. So, I’m going to try to lock down on defense.”
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Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 24 games last year as a freshman at Kansas, marking the highest scoring average for a freshman in Jayhawks program history. He shot 43.8% from the field, 38.2% from deep, and 82.6% from the free-throw line, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors.
This isn’t the first time he’s drawn comparisons to Kobe, either. On draft night, DeMarcus Cousins said he could “see Kobe in his game” with the “self-confidence” and his ability to create separation and score in isolation. “Everything we loved about Kobe, this kid shows flashes of,” Cousins said.
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For the Jazz, this is exactly the type of player they’ve been waiting to build their franchise around. They took 6-foot-9 wing Ace Bailey No. 5 overall last year, another rising star, and watched their No. 16 overall pick from 2023, Keyonte George, evolve into one of the most exciting young players in the NBA.
Add Peterson to that and a core of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler, and you’re looking at a rotation flooded with talent that could make serious noise in the Western Conference for years to come.
