RealGM

This is very old news with a thread about this a long time ago, but I know that theres a lot of nets fan who don't know how Kobe screwed us over in the 1996 draft.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/02pl ... e.htm#more

The story of Bryant's involvement with the Nets is equally interesting and more intriguing.

"He was our pick. We had dinner with his parents the night before the draft and we told them he was our choice," recalled John Nash, who was New Jersey's general manager at the time.

"The Nets had brought Bryant in for three workouts, and a year before that they had been hearing stories from the likes of Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Doug Overton and Tim Legler about a 16-year kid from Lower Merion H.S., who was lighting up every NBA player he was matched against in workouts at the Philadelphia Sporting Club."

The afternoon of the draft, Nash received two phone calls — one from Bryant and one from his agent, Arn Tellem.

"They said Kobe had had a tremendous change of heart," Nash said. "Kobe suggested he wouldn't play in New Jersey."



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There you have it folks, Kobe came into the league with that ego of his and mandated where he would and wouldn't play.

You can read the article for the full story of how Kobe ____ us over.

It's OK, I hate that scumbag anyway.

hmm who cares - crying about him not coming here? he may have went somewhere else after his rookie contract anyway.

Kobe is good and all, but he's no VC. I don't care what the records, achievements, and statistics say.

yeh, well too bad...I'm drafting you anyway...and if we cant settle, I'll trade you...biatch

John Calipari confirmed this years ago...and then recently, within the last year, on the Stephen A Smith show...even though that 2002 article says otherwise about Calipari...it was no secret who Kobe Bryant was, even at 16yrs old...teams just had be willing to pass up on 1st rounders that were going to be an immediate impact...and take a stab at the next Jordan, as he was called...now you see teams since the Kobe draft gamble on the next Kobe, so to speak, all the time....experience doesnt scare teams anymore...now its making the smart draft pick...IMO, the right draft pick is drafting the player with the most potential value...even the Nets still draft based on needs...where players have slipped by...I've never understood this...but you either gamble or you dont...the Nets were not interested in gambling in 1996 and it was an easy bet to take...you just had to have a some balls...

^
It sucks that Calipari gave in like that. There should be some kind of punishment for a player if he tells a team he won't play for them in the draft, I don't know why this is allowed to continue.

jzmagik wrote:^
It sucks that Calipari gave in like that. There should be some kind of punishment for a player if he tells a team he won't play for them in the draft, I don't know why this is allowed to continue.

Calipari was a scapegoat and got run out of jersey...not saying he didnt want certain things his way...but Nash and company pushed him out...and Nash never took any blame...period...

but I agree 100%, there should be a penalty, you get drafted by who get drafted by, no ifs, ands or buts...do your stint and opt out after yr #3 as a 1st rounder should if he is not happy...its a friggin joke...and I was a big Francis fan during his Terp days...but that situation left a bad taste in my mouth...and you can see how his career bit him in the ass anyway...

I would really love to hear what went down behind close doors...