Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Star Trek characters
Please tell me if I get anything wrong, I haven't seen all the shows. Just 8 shows + movies.
Pavel A. Chekov always wanted a good role model. His role model needed to be strong, brave, collected, brilliant-but they also needed to be sympathetic, kind, and forgiving. Growing up, Chekov had nobody to represent these qualities. Until he joined the USS Enterprise.
Captain James T. Kirk was a great captain, if not an unconventional one. Chekov knew that Kirk had all the qualities of a good role model.
Pavel Andreievich Chekov had James Tiberius Kirk as the perfect role model.