Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest Lakers of all time, right there with Magic Johnson for the most beloved in the most famous franchise's history. But there was a time when Bryant was nearly no longer a Laker. In 2007, frustrated by three agonizingly brutal years after the trade of Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant demanded a trade.
But the particulars haven't really been discussed by Bryant much. Detroit was rumored to have been a target, but that Bryant wouldn't waive his no-trade clause to accommodate it. But in a BS Report appearance to promote the Showtime documentary, "MUSE," Bryant admitted that he vetoed a trade to the Pistons. (Bryant's comments come in at the 44 minute mark.)
"I said, 'I gave you a list of teams that I'm comfortable being traded to. That wasn't one of them, so no."
Bryant also said he wanted to go to Chicago. "Chicago was my No.1 choice for a destination."
A deal for Bryant was reportedly very much on the table, but there was a hangup over the availability of Luol Deng in the trade. Bryant's desire was mostly derived from his love and pursuit historically of Michael Jordan. Seeing Bryant on that Bulls team, which was, no joke, an Eastern Conference Contender going into their ill-fated 2007-2008 season, would have been jarring but fascinating.
Bryant admitted that part of the reason he declined the trade to Detroit stemmed from what the Pistons would have given up (Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton included). What's fun to think about, however, is how dramatically everything changes if that trade goes through. The Lakers are unlikely to then seek to add a star in Pau Gasol, which means that Gasol very well could have gone from Memphis to Phoenix for Shawn Marion, who instead traded Matrix to Miami for Shaquille O'Neal, which ended the Seven Seconds or Less Era. The Pistons might have extended their run, and had they gotten past the Celtics, there's no telling how the Boston era ends.
If Bryant had gone to Chicago, then Derrick Rose never goes to Chicago, and Tom Thibodeau might not have been hired. Basically, if Bryant were traded, everything changes.
It wound up not mattering, though. The Lakers decided to stay patient, and instead they discovered Andrew Bynum (!!) making the leap, which made the Lakers a different beast. Then the Pau Gasol trade, and the rest is history.
Bryant, oddly, did say that going to another team, at least now, isn't "who he is."
"For me to ask for a trade or go play somewhere else to chase a championship, that's not me," Bryant said. "That's not what my career has been about. That's not who I am. I stay with it... You're the captain of the ship. If the ship goes down, you go down with the ship!"
"That's never going to happen," Bryant said when asked about the possibility of joining the Knicks and Phil Jackson.
But that's... the exact opposite... of demanding a trade... which he admitted to...
Anyway, Bryant was awfully candid about his beliefs and the process in the interview. It's worth checking out.
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