Kobe Bryant was his 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. One of the teams that handed him over was the Los Angeles Clippers, the team with the seventh pick overall.
The Los Angeles Lakers struck the opportunity to acquire Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft. They only had their 24th overall pick in 1996. This was used to select future five-time champion Derek Fisher.
Despite Fisher being the team’s only true draft pick, the Lakers still made a difference by trading center VLADE DIVAC with then-17-year-old Bryant. It was a big gamble for the Lakers, but he ended up being the greatest ever under Phil Jackson, winning five titles alongside Lakers’ Fisher.
Many teams could have had Bryant, but it was the Los Angeles Clippers that irritated him the most. Some Lakers staff first questioned the move, but it turned out to be great. They may have had him on the seventh pick used to select Lorenzen Wright.
During his three seasons with the Clippers, Wright was not the most impressive player. He was sometimes a good rebounder and a starter, but most were used as a backup centre. Wright has never averaged more than 10 points during his time with the Clippers. This is a far cry from what Bryant did with the Lakers.
The Clippers had the opportunity to win Bryant, but they were victims of fear. They didn’t think Bryant was worth gambling, so they went with Wright, who was the second team’s national, during the University of Memphis.
They didn’t realize that Bryant was the type of player who would terrify his enemies. He was worth gambling, but the Clippers were not willing to take risks.
“So I said, ‘Okay, are you going to draft me?” So I asked them if they wouldn’t draft me.
Like many other moments in his basketball career, Bryant used the Clippers’ rejection as a way to motivate himself. Bryant made sure to retrieve it in 69 regular season matchups between the Lakers and Clippers. He scored 24.9 points per game against the Clippers, with the Lakers earning 47 of their 69 games.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, former Clippers assistant coach Bill Fitch was present while training solo with the Clippers. During his career, Fitch has seen many top tier players, including Larry Bird.
But Bryant was probably the most impressive player in his eyes. Doing it with just 17 proved that Bryant is ready for the big leagues. However, the Clippers were not willing to take risks.
Looking back, the Clippers may regret their decision to choose Wright over Bryant. Other teams passed on him too, but the Clippers stood out, especially when Bryant spoke about his obsession with victory.
Bryant could have remained a superstar-level talent with the Clippers, but he may not have achieved the same level of success. To this day, Bryant is still an iconic Laker and could hurt anyone who knows that Clippers fans can do more.