(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
It’s rare to see NBA players spend their entire career with the same team.
Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant ring the bell as three legends who recently pulled that off.
However, the latter was pretty close to taking his talents somewhere else.
It’s been long revealed that Kobe wanted out of the Lakers at some point, and he was reportedly quite close to joining the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls.
Nonetheless, it seems like he was even closer to being a Detroit Piston.
Recently, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski said on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” that the Lakers and Pistons had already agreed on terms for a Kobe deal.
Kobe Bryant was unbelievably close to being traded to the Pistons @wojespn @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/XmaH4Oq6qn
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 15, 2024
Apparently, the Lakers would get Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and several draft picks in return for the legendary shooting guard.
Still, the Lakers backed down from the deal after Kobe visited Dr. Jerry Buss at his house and they talked things out.
Eventually, Kobe spent his entire career in Los Angeles, and it clearly worked out perfectly for all parties involved — well, maybe not for the Pistons.
This was the kind of move that could’ve changed NBA history forever.
Kobe already has a complicated legacy as it is, and it would be interesting to see how people would see him if he hadn’t been a Laker for life.
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