There was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers seriously considered the Kobe Bryant deal.
Kobe Bryant is one of the best players of all time as he won five NBA championships in his 20-year stint in the league.
Bryant spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is another thing that he is often praised by fans.
But even Mamba was tired of the franchise in 2007 because he demanded trade.
In 2007, Bryant was already a three-time NBA champion and definitely wasn’t the face of the league. Obviously, if any of the teams wanted to trade for him, they would have had to throw the kitchen sink.
Who did the Lakers ask for in return? Well, according to a 2016 story by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers tried to trade for 22-year-old LeBron James.
“The Lakers once contacted the Cavs to find out whether Cleveland would make James available in the Bryant Trade.
“The Lakers went through their options and the calls were placed on the Cavs. Will the intent of the phone make James available to the Cavs in a potential deal with Bryant?” Windhorst wrote.
Now it’s huge. James’ deal? Even the Cleveland Cavaliers front office was shocked.
“That’s all the team ever called to make James’ offer,” a source told Windhorst.
Kobe eventually stayed in LA, winning two more NBA titles with the Lakers. As for James, playing for the Lakers was his fate, but not at that time.
LeBron joined the iconic franchise in the summer of 2018, preparing for its eighth season with the organization this summer.
Of course, James was deemed untouched by the Cavaliers, but what did the King think about it?
“I believe it. If you give up on a big fish, you have to get a big fish too,” James told ESPN.
Even if the Cavs and Lakers found an agreement, there was another obstacle. This is a non-trade clause in KobeBryant.
“I would never have approved it. Never. What’s the deal to go to Cleveland? It wasn’t one of the teams on my list. It was Chicago, San Antonio (or) Phoenix,” Bryant said.
Trade did not come true as KOBE joined the Lakers in the 2007-08 season. Bryant had one of the best seasons of his career as he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
He was also named NBA MVP for the 2007-08 season. Bryant led the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals but suffered a 4-2 loss to the Boston Celtics.