Toucher & Rich: Danny Ainge recalls the time his team tried to trade up and draft Kobe Bryant
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Kobe Bryant became one of the greatest players in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. But if Danny Ainge got what he wanted, Bryant would have played for the Phoenix Suns.
Ainge spoke about the tragic passing of Bryant during his weekly interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Thursday. As part of the call, he recounted the 1996 NBA Draft and the Charlotte Hornets’ famous decision to draft Bryant and then trade him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. Then freshly hired as the Suns’ head coach, Ainge kept tabs as then-owner/team president Jerry Colangelo tried to move up and bring Bryant to Phoenix.
How did Bryant fall to 13th in the first place, anyway? As a prospect straight out of high school, Bryant was in relatively uncharted territory and teams weren’t sure how great he would turn out to be. So that gave Ainge and the Suns a chance to snag him in the middle of the first round.
“I mean, I think that [Bryant] was just a little before his time,” said Ainge. “The next year Tracy McGrady came out and he was the he was the ninth pick, I think, which was a joke. You know, he should have been the second pick. So those two guys were young and nobody was really doing that type of thing at that time. But our owner [Colangelo] was going to [make the trade], and Jerry West obviously did. We had the 15th pick, Kobe was the 13th pick.
“We were doing everything we could to try to trade up in that draft so we could draft Kobe Bryant. And, you know, trades are just hard to make. And so it was it was a tough deal for us. But, you know, I don’t think anybody foresaw what Kobe did become. But you could see the determination, the drive, the talent, the fluidity, and the class that Kobe had. Even at that young age.”
Colangelo talked to the Daily Independent in Arizona this week about Bryant’s pre-draft workout with the Suns. He called it one of the best workouts they ever had for a player. Makes sense.
“We felt good that we could get him at 15 but the Lakers and the Divac trade changed everything,” said Colangelo. “Had he been available, we would have definitely taken him.”
You can listen to the full interview with Danny Ainge below.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
