“I always had MJ posters and Jordans” - Houston Rockets guard says Michael Jordan was his favorite player as a kid, says he studied Kobe Bryant for his mentality

Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets was one of the best rookies last season, earning an All-Rookie First Team nod. Green was a guest on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," wherein he talked about idolizing Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Simmons made headlines earlier this month when he cursed during an episode discussing the young Rockets star. The outspoken founder of The Ringer voiced his displeasure at the idea of Green being named in the All-Rookie First Team over Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans. Simmons said:

"F**k Jalen Green. I don't care you're scoring 40 points and your team's 19-60. Congratulations. Herb Jones is like guarding dudes in real games.

"Now, the Houston people are going to be mad at me. I'm sorry, I like winning players. I'm sorry. Jalen Green will get there. It's just that team was 21-61 this year or whatever."

A few weeks later, it was Jalen Green who was named to the All-Rookie First Team and Herb Jones was in the All-Rookie Second Team. Green then responded to Simmons via Twitter after the announcement.

Simmons went on to clarify his comments by replying to Green's tweet. He pointed out that he was just joking and it was the news aggregators sites who made it look like a big deal.

The two seemed to have buried the hatchet when Jalen Green joined "The Bill Simmons Podcast" to discuss the situation. Green then revealed the players he looked up to while growing up. He named Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as his biggest inspirations, stating:

"MJ and Kobe. Growing up, MJ was always my favorite since I was a kid. I always had MJ posters and Jordans. I didn't start to fall in love with Kobe until the middle of my junior year of high school.

"I started to watch more videos about his mindset and how he approached the game. And that was around the time I started to lock-in mentally."

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What's next for Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets?

Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets finished the season with the worst record in the NBA. However, they earned the third overall pick in the upcoming draft, while their young core continues to gain more experience.

Jalen Green struggled with his shot, consistency and health in the first half of the season.

After the All-Star break, Green took off and became one of the best rookies in the league. He's expected to be even better next season along with the Rockets' core that includes Alperen Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr. and Josh Christopher.

Meanwhile, the Rockets are expected to draft whoever is available at third overall. The consensus top three picks in the draft are Jabari Smith of Auburn, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga and Paolo Banchero of Duke.

All three prospects fit the Rockets, so it's a win-win situation for the organization.