Kobe Bryant is retired but somehow stories tied up to his colorful career have cropped up. That includes past possible trades which New York president Phil Jackson has now brought out in the open.
The trade that almost happened
One incident that seems pretty curious was the 1999-00 season of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant was only averaging close to 19 points per game and had wanted to jack up those numbers close to Laker greats Jerry West and Elgin Baylor who averaged close to 30 points a game.
But the thing there is that Bryant was not the only star on the roster. Shaquille O’Neal was there and everyone knows the feud the developed between the two. Regardless, the point is Bryant demanded to be a starter and Jackson was a bit reluctant given the team was winning.
At some point, Kobe may have felt that he could up his scoring and establish his legacy with other teams. This was where the potential trade with Grant Hill cropped up.
Bryant had a no-trade clause which he should waive for the deal to materialize. Kobe apparently didn’t agree, not wanting to play in Detroit. There is no question that had he played there, his legacy would still be the same.
A Blessing in Disguise
For the Lakers, it was a blessing in disguise. Everyone knows how Hill’s career was plagued with ankle injuries which eventually caught up and forced him into retirement. Had the trade been made, the Lakers could have been without several titles.
All these are blasts from the past and regardless of the issues that cropped up back then, the thing is the Lakers were fortunate of keeping Bryant. His dish to be among the greatest may have been awkward though there is no denying that the Lakers profited with several NBA plums from the “Black Mamba”.