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Five-star prospect Emoni Bates, and the top-ranked player in the Class of 2022, announced this week that he has committed to play at Michigan State University.
Bates is considered to be perhaps the top high school prospect in over a decade and has often been compared to Kevin Durant. He chose Michigan State over other programs such as Duke, Kentucky and Florida State among others.
While he projects to have a bright future, the idea of comparing him to Durant didn’t sit well with Portland Trail Blazers rookie Nassir Little on social media. He believes Bates should have the opportunity to build his own name and so that he could potentially even one day surpass Durant.
OR… Emoni Bates? Y’all gotta let kids build their own identity. What if he’s better than KD? https://t.co/m9ZkYyycBU
— Nassir Little (@2ez_nassie) July 1, 2020
Fans often love NBA comparisons when it comes to younger prospects. The practice gives those an idea of what a player could potentially reach, though it also has some drawbacks. If a particular player doesn’t reach those comparisons, then oftentimes they are labeled a bust or that they didn’t necessarily reach their full potential.
When it comes to Bates, who is widely considered a tremendous talent, Little wants to caution those to let him develop at his own rate and let him build his identity at his own pace.
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