Kobe Bryant never played for NBA team that drafted him and was too young to sign
The 2023 NBA Draft is upon us and projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is perhaps the most exciting prospect to enter the league since LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Standing at 7 feet, 4 inches tall, the Frenchman is certainly a unique talent, and it's almost guaranteed he will join San Antonio Spurs as they won the draft lottery and hold the first pick. While Wembanyama may be a generational talent in his own right, Bryant's situation is one that we may never see the likes of again.
Every player in the draft this year will have come from college if they're in North America, or at least a similar level of education if they've been picked up from abroad - just like Wembanyama has. It's no longer possible for players to be drafted into the NBA from high school, and Bryant's situation was far from being a straightforward process.
41 players have been drafted into the NBA from high school, with the last occasion coming back in 2005. The rules were changed in 2006, and now players must be at least 19 years of age and have been one year removed from high school graduation in order to be eligible.
Bryant retired as one of the all-time greats, winning five NBA championships and his fame even exceeded the league and the sport. People all around the world knew about Kobe, even before social media became an active part of our lives.
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Although his time in the NBA may have been prolific, his entrance into the league was messy and controversial. Bryant is known for being a life-long Los Angeles Lakers player.
But he was actually selected in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets - and never played a game for the franchise. With a trade agreed in principle the day before the Draft, the Lakers told the Hornets to pick Bryant 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft and eventually he became a Laker a few days later.
The Lakers got their man in 1996 and everything changed (GETTY)Bryant was still only 17 at the time. It was incredible for a prospect to be selected at that age anyway, let alone that high up in the draft. Bryant was so young that he couldn't even sign his rookie deal with the Lakers, and his parents had to sign on his behalf.
But the Hornets still dealt with the Lakers after selecting him as they agreed to exchange for Vlade Divac. The exact reason why the Hornets were willing to trade Bryant is up for debate, but after threatening to refuse the trade Divac eventually gave the green light and the Lakers got their man.
Many theories have been suggested as to why the Hornets glossed over Bryant, but the former NBA player claimed that they didn't want him. "Charlotte never wanted me," Bryant once said to ESPN.
"[Hornets coach Dave] Cowens told me he didn't want me. It wasn't a question of me even playing here. They had a couple of guards already, a couple small forwards already. So it wasn't like I would be off the bench much. Cowens told me, 'We don't really need you here.'"
Bryant was the 13th pick in the NBA Draft
The Hornets selected him but later worked out a deal with the Lakers (Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)It's also been speculated that the Lakers had their eyes on Bryant all along, with former general manager Jerry West asking the players' agent to limit pre-draft exposure to other teams. West was reportedly sold on Bryant straight away, and made sure other teams weren't as he played on the fact that back then players under the age of 18 were seen as a huge big risk.
Kevin Garnett was an exception to the rule just before Bryant arrived, but teams were still very cautious about drafting young talent. The theory states that West limited exposure of Bryant as 12 teams had to pass on him to allow the Lakers to pounce, and they had a center ready to trade up - a position the Hornets needed.
Only those involved know the true story, but the only narrative that's relevant is just how much of a sensation Bryant was for the Lakers, the NBA, and the sport around the world. The Hornets hold the second pick in the draft this year, and will want to ensure they don't miss out on another major talent.
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