On June 26, 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers made a trade that would change Los Angeles forever.
On draft night in 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers made a trade for a prospect coming out of Lower Merion High School, a player who had dominated the circuit at the high school level and was looking to become the next great superstar to skip college and go straight to the pros. This player would become the franchise piece for a team that was ready to put more banners up in the rafters of Staples Center, that players name? Kobe Bryant.
There was never any doubt that the guy that the Lakers had drafted would become something of a legend, during his junior year of high school he averaged an insane 31 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists a game. In his senior year, he did the unthinkable, he upped all his stats leading the team to their first ever state championship. He also did something nobody had ever dreamed was possible, he passed Wilt Chamberlain for all time points scored in Southern Philadelphia history.
Prior to the draft Kobe Bryant had worked out for just about every team if you’ve ever seen that picture of Kobe in Celtic Green it probably made you cringe. Jerry West had been watching him play against former Laker Michael Cooper and was enamored by the young stud. West didn’t have to think twice about this trade as he believed Kobe had superstar potential written all over him, boy was he right. On that fateful night the Lakers traded Vlade Divac for the rights to Kobe Bryant, and at that moment, it was destined the Lakers would multiple titles with Kobe.
This move was not the only move the Lakers worked out in the summer of 1996. The team also persuaded young Shaquille O’Neal to leave the Orlando Magic to come join the dark side in Los Angeles, to truly build something special for years to come. The Lakers signed him to a massive 7 year, $120 million contract, which at the time was an unreal number for a player to get, especially one who had only been in the league for a few years.
With these two cornerstone pieces in place, the Lakers set a plan in motion, and that plan worked. Within 5 years the team had become perennial NBA Finals contender, constantly battling with Tim Duncan and the Spurs. From the years 2000-2002 the Lakers completed a 3 peat, something only a few teams had done up to that time. Kobe and Shaq eventually grew to hate each other, most believe it is due to them both having massive egos at the time, and each wanting to be the star of all stars.
After a nasty divorce battle, Kobe and the Lakers lost Shaq to the Miami Heat in the summer of 04’ for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and future pick that the Lakers used to draft Jordan Farmar. With the exception of Lamar Odom, none of the previously mentioned had any real impact with the Lakers. After a few years of struggling with players like Smush Parker and Kwame Brown in the starting 5 with Kobe, the team finally won titles again, in back to back years during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
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What Kobe Bryant brought to the Los Angeles Lakers was not only hope and excitement, he brought fans together, from every corner of the globe. Even if 2 people were not major NBA fans, odds are they knew who Kobe was. After all, the man was basically worshiped in China, except for the few years that Yao Ming was in the league. The Lakers, even in their current form, one of the worst teams in the NBA are still selling out game after game, Kobe is to thank for that. Nobody can deny what Jerry Buss built was a legacy, the team will always bring extra value to anybody who plays for the team, and one of the most valuable sports franchises to ever exist.
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2016 signaled the end of one of the best basketball careers anybody will ever witness, for generations to come people who saw Kobe play will tell their kids about the time they saw Kobe posterize a defending big man, or the way he would let the clock wind down, or just the way he handled himself on court with passion that is needed more often. We will truly never see another Kobe Bryant.