Darryn Peterson Is Averaging 26.5 in Summer League. He’s Also Trying to Channel Kobe Bryant.

The Utah Jazz might have just hit the jackpot at No. 2 in the 2026 NBA Draft. And Darryn Peterson is making that look like an understatement.

Through two Summer League games, the 19-year-old guard is averaging 26.5 points on nearly 53 percent shooting. He dropped 12 assists on Monday, proving he’s not just a scorer but a playmaker too. For a rookie playing his first professional minutes, that’s not bad.

But what’s really turning heads is the mindset Peterson is trying to adopt. He’s not just learning plays and adjusting to the pace. He’s actively trying to live up to the Kobe Bryant standard. The Black Mamba standard.

“I just love his mentality. And I try to mimic it. I got it tattooed and stuff, that’s my idol. I say it all the time. I try to be Black Mamba 2.0,” Peterson said on SportsCenter. “I ain’t gonna say that I’m there yet.”

The kid is 19. He’s already showing the kind of self-awareness that usually takes players years to develop. He knows he’s not Kobe. But he’s willing to put in the work to get as close as possible.

The 2026 draft class was stacked at the top. AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer both went in the top three. But if Peterson keeps this up, the Jazz could end up as the real winners of that draft. He has the physical tools, the feel for the game, and the scoring instinct you can’t teach.

Peterson has a long way to go before anyone seriously compares him to Bryant. But the work ethic? That’s the starting point. And if he stays true to that, the sky really is the limit.