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The time when the Nets almost had Kobe Bryant on the team
The 1996 NBA Draft is widely regarded as one of the most exceptional cohorts of prospects in history. Amidst this pool of immense talent, Kobe Bryant emerged as a standout figure, initially selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets before a trade landed him with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The New Jersey Nets at the time owned the 8th pick in that draft and selected Kerry Kittles out of Villanova. Unfortunately for him and the Nets, most fans have looked at that pick as a missed opportunity to get one of the greatest players in NBA history. At that time in 1996, John Calipari was the head coach of the Nets, and he was leaning towards picking Kobe.
“I had the eighth pick in the draft, and everyone thought I was nuts. A 17-year-old kid, a high school kid who’s just now getting to the NBA? It shows you don’t know what you’re doing,” Calipari said back in 2020, shortly after Kobe’s untimely passing. “But anyway, through all those times, all the years we came in contact. One time, he said, ‘You know if you drafted me, you would still be in the NBA.’ He said that, too. Just a great, great guy.”
Kerry Kittles was a worthy pick
While some fans may view the selection as a missed opportunity for Kobe Bryant, Kittles proved to be a valuable pick for the Nets. He boasted an impressive collegiate career at Villanova, where he shone as a star player.
Over the course of the next seven seasons, he established a fruitful career with the Nets, even earning a starting position during their two Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. While Kittles is highly regarded by many Nets fans, some can't help but see him as a reminder of the potential to have acquired one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.
According to Nets legend Jason Kidd, he felt Shaquille O’Neal would’ve loved to play for the Nets if they selected Kobe with the 8th pick.
“It would have made New Jersey an attractive place, a basketball hotbed with a player like that. When you have a player like Kobe Bryant and what he can do, he would definitely have gotten talent,” Kidd told ABC7 back in 2015.
Why the Nets didn’t get Kobe
Hours before the draft, Bryant’s camp told Nets general manager John Nash that the 17-year-old phenom did not want to play for New Jersey. That was a big blow because Calipari was locked in on getting him.
Coach Cal even went to dinner with Kobe’s parents, leading him to tell the franchise owner at the time, Joe Taub, that he was locked in on selecting Kobe. Unfortunately, that did not pan out, which led to the pivot to Kittles.
Ultimately, Kittles proved a dependable player during his tenure with the squad, bringing a consistent contribution as an NBA-ready wing. However, his career ascended to a different pinnacle than Kobe's with the Lakers, where the latter secured five championship titles.
