The late Kobe Bryant was almost a Net.
Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, Bryant’s path to becoming “The Black Mamba” took a now-famous turn when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. His legendary 20-year career unfolded in purple and gold, but what if things went differently?
Ian Eagle wonders about it all the time.
Despite impressing then-New Jersey Nets coach John Calipari with a dominant pre-draft workout, then 18-year-old Bryant and his agent made it clear he wouldn’t play for the team if drafted with the No. 8 pick. This ultimately swayed the Nets, who opted for Kerry Kittles, paving the way for his iconic journey with the Lakers.
Speaking with Brooklyn Nets beat writer Erik Slater on the Bleav in Nets podcast; Eagle acknowledged the lingering curiosity surrounding this alternate course of history.
“I think if Nets GM John Nash had his way, they would have taken Kobe Bryant.”
-Ian Eagle on the New Jersey Nets’ 1996 draft
Listen to the full episode of Bleav in Nets here: https://t.co/IfVGnYprNN pic.twitter.com/v3v2SHW1B1
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) July 11, 2024
“My understanding was, John Nash, who was the GM of the Nets,” Eagle began, “he stood very firm in telling John Calipari, ‘Look, don’t take the cheese. He’s gonna play for us. If we take him, he’s gonna play for us. The kid wants to play in the NBA. Arn Tellem was Kobe’s agent and continued to send a message to the Nets, ‘Hey, he’ll go to Italy. He’s comfortable there. He speaks fluent Italian. He has no problem going there. He’s not going to play for you guys.’
“This was John Calipari’s first major decision as an NBA head coach and running basketball operations. So, think about the position he was in, in that moment that he knew everybody in the league was watching. And if he tosses an airball, and the guy that he says is going to change the franchise doesn’t ever play for the franchise, he might look at that as irreparable. And that was his thought process.”
Eagle says he knows John Nash from his Philly and Washington days. Nash had a deep Philadelphia connection, having been the assistant general manager when Charles Barkley was drafted there in 1984 and later the head decision-maker when Hersey Hawkins was the selection in ’88.
“He knew that Kobe Bryant was going to be a star, and I believe that John Calipari knew it as well,” says Eagle. “I do think Cal wanted to take him, but I do think he got cold feet based on what could have happened if Kobe didn’t sign with the Nets. And this was Calipari’s first major decision, as we know, the 1996 NBA Draft.
“It was held, by the way, at The Meadowlands. It was in New Jersey. And they took Kerry Kittles, who turned out to be an excellent pro and did some great things for the Nets and their organization; was a terrific guy, as well. But it was Kobe Bryant. And I think if John Nash had his way, yes, they would’ve taken him, and they would’ve tested Arn Tellem and Kobe’s camp to see if they really were going to hold out and play in Italy.”
What could’ve been…
