Kobe Bryant’s workout with Celtics almost cost Lakers five championships

Before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in a draft rights trade, Kobe Bryant worked out for four other teams.

Kobe Bryant’s workout with Celtics almost cost Lakers five championships

The Boston Celtics were on the verge of drafting Kobe Bryant

The late great Kobe Bryant was the embodiment of hard work, discipline and dedication. His time with the Los Angeles Lakers netted five championships and an unbeatable legacy. But there was a chance someone else stole the Lakers’ thunder away before it all started.

Bryant was 17 years old and still with Lower Merion High School. His father and former NBA star Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant knew his son was a superstar in the making. But to convince NBA scouts, he scheduled workouts. One of them was with his old team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Tales of how the 17-year-old shocked season NBA pros is now part of basketball folklore. But the 76ers were not his only stop as he also worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and the Phoenix Suns.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes revealed there was also another workout with the Boston Celtics. Team legend Red Auerbach was the President, and he had seen enough to understand that Kobe Bryant was a special talent. But he knew the decision was head coach and vice-president M.L. Carr‘s to take.

They liked what they saw in the young Bryant, but they also knew the Celtics would not go wrong if they selected any one of the top six in the famed 1996 Draft. On one hand was an intriguing prospect, and on the other hand, was a team that was a piece away from being a contender.

Celtics’ decision changed the future of the Lakers

The Boston Celtics had a headache on their hands. On one hand, they knew that Kobe Bryant would need time to develop. On the other hand, they knew that he was a superstar in the making, even likening his game to Michael Jordan.

At the time, the NBA did not have a solid history of drafting players straight out of high school. That and the sheer fact that the Celtics had moved up the draft to land the 6th pick meant the team were looking to fight for the playoffs.

That helped them decide and M.L. Carr selected Kentucky star Antoine Walker. They believed Walker was the missing piece in their playoff goals. The New Jersey Nets too skipped on Bryant while picking at no. 8. Then as he fell further down, the Charlotte Hornets grabbed the high schooler with their 13th overall pick.

Since they already had an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers in place, Bryant went straight to the West Coast. Lakers GM Jerry West had managed to hide his opinion of Kobe Bryant whenever he spoke with Carr.

It was a stroke of genius, and the Celtics had no clue which teams were in on Bryant. Had they known, just on the basis of the rivalry, they might have taken a chance. But that was not to happen, and the youngster ended up wearing purple and gold.

Kobe Bryant’s five championships could have been with Celtics

In his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant came off the bench. The franchise knew they had to ease him into playing against grown men. His third season onwards, Bryant became a full-time starter.

In his fourth season, he won his first NBA championship. Two more followed as his combination with Shaquille O’Neal became the stuff of legends. After O’Neal departed, Bryant continued to stay on with a struggling Lakers team.

He even looked at the possibility of joining a conference rival. But stayed put and went on to clinch two more titles alongside Pau Gasol. The first of those was against the Celtics and their famed Big 3. Had they drafted the Mamba, that Big 3 could have been vastly different.

His drive, dedication and skills could have helped the Boston Celtics win five or more championships. M.L. Carr resigned at the end of the 1996 season after a disastrous 15-67 record, and his selection, Antoine Walker never became the franchise cornerstone they thought he would be.