Giancarlo Stanton echoes Kobe Bryant's iconic 'job's not finished' message with comments after Yankees go 3-1 up in ALCS
Giancarlo Stanton has been the New York Yankees' consistent offensive maestro in the 2024 MLB postseason. Stanton has done incredible work in the postseason for some time now. After the Yankees went up 3-1 in the ALCS, Stanton seemed not too complacent about it as he seemingly mirrored the late Kobe Bryant's attitude from the 2009 NBA Finals.
After the LA Lakers went 2-0 against Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic, Kobe Bryant didn't seem too happy in the postgame media interview. When asked about it, Bryant replied:
"What's there to be happy about? [you're up 2-0]. Job's not finished. Job finished? I don't think so."
Similarly, Giancarlo Stanton didn't seem bothered by the Yankees going 3-1 in the ALCS, as evidenced by his postgame media interview.
"Feels like nothing till we get it done. As far as I'm concerned, we haven't done nothing. We, you know, enjoy this for now, but we got to get it done tomorrow, and onto the next."
NY Post Sports' official IG channel compared the quotes of Stanton and Bryant in a recent video. Despite the two not saying the same words, the aura around them and the intent seemed strikingly similar.
The Lakers went on to win the 2009 NBA Finals 4-1, and Bryant was the Finals MVP. Bryant and the Lakers repeated the feat in 2010.
Stanton and the Yankees are just one win away from claiming a spot in the World Series, and they have the firepower to claim it with names like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, among others.
Giancarlo Stanton garners high praise from Aaron Boone
After Juan Soto and Austin Wells hit two-run and solo homers, respectively, for the Yankees in ALCS Game 4, Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning against Cade Smith.
With the three-run homer, Stanton became the second Yankee, after Reggie Jackson, to have multiple seasons of four-plus postseason homers. The Yankees manager was all praise for Stanton in the postgame interview. [5:05]
"He did it again. I mean, you know, just to get to two strikes there and [to] get to one, [it] looked like almost a letter-high heater, maybe. And just smooth, I mean, just special, just locked in... His preparation, just his ability to lock in and focus, is impressive," Boone said of Stanton's home run.
When asked whether Giancarlo Stanton's home run surprised him, Boone admitted it did, as it was against a caliber pitcher like Cade Smith. [5:37]
"Yeah, a little bit. I mean, again, that's Cade Smith too. Like, it ain't easy to do that, you know? Two strikes, and where he got the pitch to—it felt like, I haven't gone and watched it back, but it seemed like it was up above the strike zone a little bit. And just an easy swing, and no doubter. I mean, that's just a big spot, big swing," said Boone.