MrBeast says Kobe Bryant did in sports what he's done for YouTube.
During an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaq, MrBeast was asked who he would consider the sports world version of him.
"Who would you say the MrBeast of sports is, all time?" Shaquille O'Neal asked the hugely popular YouTuber at the 18:05 point of the podcast, seen below.
"Oh, I mean, you already know," replied MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson. "Obviously, Kobe. I mean, his mindset, he was all in. He lived and breathed it. I relate very well to him. I read his biography and I just love watching videos of him talk. Like, nothing gets me more fired up than hearing his mindset."
The video creator added that he "loves" Kobe Bryant and asked Shaq if he went "as hard they would say."
"Of course," O'Neal said of his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate. "He used to do imaginary drills during the meetings."
While the comparison to an NBA legend might raise some eyebrows, there's no denying the popularity of MrBeast.
With over 350 million subscribers on YouTube, and his most popular video garnering over 730 million views, the 26-year-old has fundamentally changed online content creation.
Still, it's bold for MrBeast to say he relates to the late five-time champion who's widely regarded as one of best NBA players of all time.
Outside of content creation, MrBeast has been very busy so far this year. Earlier this month, he said that he's been engaging in talks with "a bunch of billionaires" to buy TikTok. The app's Chinese parent company ByteDance has been ordered to sell the American side of its operations to keep TikTok accessible in the States.
