Kobe Bryant didn't just walk onto the court at the Great Western Forum and start winning rings. Before the five championships, the 81-point game, and the global "Mamba Mentality" movement, there was a skinny 17-year-old kid in a suit that looked a little too big for him.
He was waiting.
People often forget that the Los Angeles Lakers didn't actually draft Kobe. Not technically. If you’re looking for the exact date, it was June 26, 1996. That night changed everything, but the story is way messier than most fans realize.
The Night Everything Changed: June 26, 1996
The 1996 NBA Draft took place at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It’s widely considered the greatest draft class ever. You had Allen Iverson going number one. You had Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Nash.
Then you had Kobe.
He was the first guard to ever jump directly from high school to the pros. Back then, that was a massive gamble. Kevin Garnett had done it the year before, but he was a 6-foot-11 power forward. A 6-foot-6 guard? Scouts were skeptical. They thought he was too thin. They thought he was arrogant.
The Charlotte Hornets "Mistake"
The Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall pick.
If you ask a Hornets fan about this today, they’ll probably just sigh. But here is the thing: Charlotte never really "owned" Kobe. The trade to the Lakers was actually agreed upon before the pick was even made.
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Jerry West, the legendary Lakers GM, had seen Kobe work out. He famously stopped a pre-draft session after just a few minutes because he’d seen enough. He knew Kobe was the best player in the draft. Period.
West spent the weeks leading up to the draft frantically trying to find a way to get into the lottery. He eventually found a partner in Charlotte. The deal? The Lakers would trade their starting center, Vlade Divac, for the Hornets' 13th pick.
Why 12 Teams Passed on the Black Mamba
It sounds insane now. How do 12 teams pass on a top-three player of all time?
Honestly, the league was different in '96. General managers were terrified of high schoolers. They wanted the "safe" college stars. The Philadelphia 76ers had the first pick and took Iverson. No one blames them for that; Iverson was a force of nature.
But then you look at teams like the New Jersey Nets.
The Nets were picking at number eight. Their coach at the time, John Calipari, desperately wanted Kobe. He’d worked him out three times. He was sold. But Kobe’s agent, Arn Tellem, and shoe mogul Sonny Vaccaro played hardball. They essentially told the Nets—and several other teams—that Kobe wouldn't play for them. They floated rumors that he’d go play professional ball in Italy instead.
The Nets blinked. They took Kerry Kittles.
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The Sacramento Kings also passed. The Cleveland Cavaliers passed. By the time the clock hit the 13th pick, Jerry West’s plan had worked perfectly. Kobe was still on the board.
The Vlade Divac Drama
The trade almost fell apart.
Once the draft was over, the deal was announced: Kobe for Vlade. But Vlade Divac wasn't having it. He loved Los Angeles. He was a veteran, a respected locker room leader, and he basically said, "I'm not going to Charlotte. I’ll retire first."
If Vlade retired, the trade would be void. Kobe would have been a Hornet.
Jerry West had to go into full-on "Logo" mode. He sat Vlade down and convinced him that this was the best move for everyone. It took a few days of tension, but Divac eventually relented. The trade became official on July 11, 1996.
The Famous "We Don't Need You" Comment
Kobe carried a chip on his shoulder about this night for 20 years. He famously tweeted in 2014 that right after he was drafted, the Hornets coach told him they were going to trade him because they "couldn't use" him anyway.
Coach Dave Cowens later disputed this, saying it was just business and the trade was already a done deal. But in Kobe's head? That was fuel. He used that perceived slight to motivate himself every time he played Charlotte. He wanted to make them regret every second of that draft night.
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Facts You Should Know
- Age: Kobe was only 17 when he was drafted. His parents actually had to co-sign his first NBA contract.
- Draft Position: 1st Round, 13th Overall.
- The Team: Drafted by Charlotte, immediately traded to Los Angeles.
- The Cost: The Lakers gave up Vlade Divac to get him.
What This Means for You
Understanding when and how Kobe was drafted isn't just about trivia. It’s about the mechanics of the NBA.
If you're a fan of the game, it shows you how much a single GM’s vision can change a franchise. Without Jerry West’s obsession with a 17-year-old, the Lakers might not have won those five titles in the 2000s.
It also reminds us that "draft stock" is often wrong. Being the 13th pick didn't define Kobe; his work ethic afterward did.
Next time you're watching a draft, look for the kid everyone is "unsure" about. Look for the one who seems a bit too confident for his age. History tends to repeat itself, but there will probably never be another draft night quite like the one in 1996.
If you want to understand the full impact of that night, go back and watch the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. Kobe won it as a rookie, barely a year after being "the high school kid no one wanted to gamble on." That was the moment the rest of the league realized they’d made a massive mistake.
Actionable Insight: If you're researching NBA history or looking to collect Kobe memorabilia, always look for items dated 1996. His true "rookie" year covers the 1996-97 season. Cards or jerseys from the Charlotte era (even though he never played a game there) are some of the most unique pieces of sports history you can find.