This story from the new book on amazon.com titled The Jump...Kobe Bryant would?ve been drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1996 if not for sneaker maven Sonny Vaccaro, who wanted his Adidas client to play in a big market. Vaccaro and his friend, Arn Tellem, who was representing Bryant, hatched a plan to threaten Nets management that Kobe would play in Italy if New Jersey picked the high school star. The Nets blinked, Bryant was taken by Charlotte, and the Hornets completed their pre-arranged deal with the Lakers. Vaccaro admitted that he gained influence in the process by cutting a deal with Kobe?s father, Joe. ?I hired him for $100,000 a year,? Vaccaro said. [red]* Shameless spam link removed. -Mel[/red]
Wow. That would have been something, i often imagine what would happen if he wouldve been drafted by his hometown 76ers(joe bryant played there as well). West made the right decision by trading divac for Kobe that fatefull night.
That would of changed a hell of a lot. I don't think the Lakers would of won 3 in a row, they would of struggled to win 1.
Yup, Kidd might not have been a Net, neither would Jefferson and KMart for the time he was there, Lakers might not have been as succesful because they would be a top team, but not likely a championship team, therefore won't get a good pick etc etc...
LA would not have won a title... and im a Laker fan, there is no way they would have won. That game with portland was absolute magic and the moment LA became a legendary team in my opnion was summed up with the Alley oop from Kobe to Shaq to seal the game....simply MAGIC. Thats my all time favorite Laker moment, you could just tell it was something special. Imagine if Charlotte wouldve kept kobe...interesting.
Damn...now I understand why the Hornets folded up in NC!!! They gave up Kobe and Dirk if I understood it right? Poor them. But good for us Lakers fans right???
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Lakers1 chrlotte also gave dirk for tractor traylor,dirk nowitski and kobe.scary</div> I think Dirk was drafted by the bucks and not by Charlottte. Or am I wrong???
Yea, he was drafted by Milwaukee who traded him and Garrity to the Mavs for Traylor. Traylor was then traded to Cleveland after 2 seasons, and then to Charlotte, and then signed this season with Cleveland.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobemvp:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm just glad kobe's still playing basketball after what happened last year.</div> AMEN
