Kobe Bryant’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers cemented him as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Five NBA championships. Two NBA Finals MVPs. One NBA MVP award. The numbers speak for themselves.
And he did it all while wearing purple and gold for the entirety of his career.
But it almost didn’t end up that way.
Apparently, at one point Bryant strongly considered retiring as a member of a different organization: the Philadelphia 76ers.
Speaking on the ‘I Am Kobe’ podcast, Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer divulged Bryant’s previously unknown desire to actually close out his career in his native Philly.
“The Lakers lost to the Sixers that night in Philly. And I asked Kobe after that game if he had given any thoughts of finishing his career with his hometown team,” Sielski said.
“He told me ‘It would be nice to play here. In high school, it’s all I thought about.’”
That certainly would have been a fascinating twist.
Ever since his passing, a number of interesting details regarding Bryant have emerged.
Everything from the one player he refused to model his game after to how he behaved during the 2008 Olympics to who he believed would win in a game of 1-on-1 between him and LeBron James to why he had no friends on the Lakers.
Sounds like a fun party. https://t.co/cTsNEpFgQj
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 8, 2022
It’s sad that the world is learning so much about Bryant after his tragic death, but it’s great that his memory – and all the important details – will live on thanks to these stories.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
