Two games into his 2026 Summer League stint with the Utah Jazz, Darryn Peterson has been lighting up the scoreboard. After a rousing 28-point debut on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, Peterson followed up with a double-double (25 points, 12 assists) in a 109-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
After the Jazz-Grizzlies game on Monday, Peterson leaned in on the comparisons with an all-time NBA great.
“I say it all the time. I’m a Kobe guy, and that’s something he did. Any time I can assert dominance, I try to. At the end of game, I try to kill.”
If Peterson was intent on paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, who passed away in 2020, he’s had quite the impressive showing of Mamba Mentality in his first two Summer League games.
Against the Hawks, Peterson broke the silence in the two-minute overtime period, scoring a three to give the Jazz a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way. Two days later, the former Kansas standout helped his team keep the Grizzlies at bay, contributing five points in the last three minutes.
For a brief period of time heading into the NBA draft, analysts were considering Peterson a viable option at the no. 1 pick, thanks in large part to his vast potential. AJ Dybantsa ended up getting the nod as the first overall selection, but Peterson has certainly been turning heads in his Summer League stint.
Analyst Compares Darryn Peterson to Kevin Durant, Projects Scoring Title in Jazz Rookie’s Future
One analyst who has generously praised Darryn Peterson is ESPN’s Jay Bilas. In a clip posted by “All the Smoke” on Monday, Bilas boldly compared Peterson to a top-10 scorer of all time.
“The last guy I could say that scored it as easily as Peterson, was Kevin Durant…When Durant came out, you knew he was gonna lead the league in scoring at some point. And you feel kinda like that about Peterson.”
Notably, Bilas made this comparison back in January. Though Peterson’s sample size from Summer League is limited, the glimpses he’s shown are highly promising indeed.
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“The Next Kobe”: NBA Fans Hyped After Darryn Peterson’s Explosive 28-Pt Summer League Debut
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