Let's review the details of draft night first. In fact, as early as the day before the start of the draft, the Hornets had agreed to exchange draft picks with the Lakers. It's just that the Hornets didn't know who the Lakers wanted to pick, and 13' s draft pick was not too high. It was not until five minutes before the draft that Hu told the Hornets that he was only 17 years old to choose Kobe. After that, the Hornets took Kobe and traded his draft pick to the Lakers.
In fact, the outside world was surprised at that time, because Divac averaged 16 points 10.4 rebounds 4. 1 assists 2.2 blocks in the Lakers. He is an all-star center, at the golden age of 27. For such a star center who has been playing for a junior high school student, it really puzzled the outside world.
Bryant himself has no intention of playing for the Hornets. The Lakers' chips are full of temptations, and the deal will naturally be reached soon. For small reasons, Kobe Bryant was accompanied by his parents when he signed with the Lakers.
As for why Kobe Bryant was chosen, we should start with West, the godfather of the Lakers. In high school, Kobe showed great strength. /kloc-at the age of 0/7, he has comprehensive skills, unparalleled sports ability and competitive spirit. Before the election, Kobe participated in the trial training of the Lakers, and he also performed well against Mike Cooper and larry drew. West's evaluation of Kobe Bryant at that time was: "It has surpassed these players."
As a god-class general manager, West decided to win Kobe at that time, but he quietly completed the deal with the Hornets in advance, but did not tell who to choose to ensure that he could win Kobe smoothly. Also in the summer of 1996, West signed O 'Neal, the most powerful super center in the league, so it is impossible for a center like Divac to get Kobe better.
Finally, in 1996, West got O 'Neal and Kobe at the same time, which also laid the foundation of the Lakers dynasty. For young Kobe Bryant, he didn't just let him grow up, but let him play from the bench first, but gave him many opportunities on such a big stage as the playoffs. In just two years, Kobe grew into a top point guard, swept the league with O 'Neill OK combination, and finally won three consecutive championships.