Lakers: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 1996 Draft Class

All of the hype currently surrounds the Lakers and what they will do with their two draft picks, but don’t forget about great ones selected 20 years before them

June 26, 2016 will mark the 20th anniversary of what is often considered the greatest draft class in NBA history, though the players drafted in 1984 and 2003 would likely have something to say about that.

Headlined at the time by Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the draft also featured All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Jermaine O’Neal and two time MVP, Steve Nash.

In a recent article for The Players Tribune, the third overall pick, Shareef Abdur-Rahim documented all of the behind the scenes information fans wish they could’ve been a part of but weren’t able to be until recently on account of the intense coverage of all things draft related.

From missing the official draft class picture, to not having enough room at the table for his little brothers, to what he did immediately after being drafted, his insight is yet another reason why TPT is so beloved.

In specific regards to the Lakers, the biggest revelation was about a phone call he received from the “GM of an Eastern Conference team picking in the top 10,” assumed to be the New Jersey Nets.

"Before I left my room, though, I had to stop that annoying blinking light, so I checked my messages. To my surprise the message was not for me, it was for Kobe. Somehow my room number and his must have gotten mixed up….The voice on the message was the GM of an Eastern Conference team picking in the top 10. The voice said, “Kobe, I know you don’t want us to take you, but we think you’re our guy and we’re going to take you.”"

Abdur-Rahim followed this up by saying,

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"I was in a rush, so I just remember thinking, Well, I guess I know where Kobe’s going. I hung the phone up and thought nothing else about it. Actually, I never thought about that message and how the team actually didn’t take Kobe until some time later. The day was such a blur — the message was really insignificant to me at the time. In retrospect, it’s a pretty big What if? What if the GM had done what he was going to do? What if the call had gone through to Kobe’s room? How different might the last two decades have been?"

It’s been well documented that Kobe Bryant forced his way to the Los Angeles Lakers, but could you imagine him playing for any other team, let alone the New Jersey Nets?

Next: Lakers Taking Brandon Ingram Barring Blockbuster Trade

Thursday, the Lakers will look to add another young piece to help their ongoing rebuild, but with no Kobe walking through that door, patience must be prioritized by the organization.