Is Jordan Clarkson’s Imitation Of Kobe Bryant Better Than The NBA Impersonator’s?

Move over, Brandon Armstrong. There’s a new challenger in the NBA impersonation game, and he has the skills – not to mention credentials – to take the social media world by storm.

That’s Los Angeles Lakers sophomore Jordan Clarkson showing off some fancy footwork and relentless ball-faking in the video above. And though the electric lead guard doesn’t say so specifically, his sly smile and exaggerated movements – not mention the tweet’s caption – make it pretty clear he’s imitating teammate Kobe Bryant.

This is a pretty spot-on impression, right? Bryant has lost the premier athleticism that first propelled him to superstardom in the late-1990s, and compensates by relying on his perhaps unmatched blend of skill and knack – attributes he’s never quite lacked, either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zDRW08XQ2g

But far more important than whether or not Clarkson’s portrayal is exactly accurate is if it’s better than Armstrong’s. Personally, we’re quite taken with the type of realism the former offers – his size and fluidity here is hardly easily duplicated by people who aren’t professional ballers. When it comes to comedy, though, Armstrong definitely has his competition beat. The dude is downright hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM9bqkUvYgY

There’s no clear winner here, obviously. But for now, we’ll hedge with the man known as @BdotAdot5. After all, Bryant hasn’t given Clarkson the Mamba seal of approval.

[Via Carlo Pamintuan, via Robert Shockley, via Vines Tupido, via Kobe Bryant]