Jerry West recounts talking Kobe Bryant out of signing with surprise team
When discussing the greatest Los Angeles Lakers of all time, it doesn't take long for the late Kobe Bryant's name to come up.
Bryant spent 20 historic seasons with the Lakers, winning five championships and the 2008 MVP Award, but it wasn't always a smooth ride. Following center Shaquille O'Neal's 2004 trade to Miami, the Lakers experienced some growing pains, ultimately leading to Bryant considering a move to another team.
While following in Michael Jordan's footsteps and joining the Bulls was a possibility for Bryant, fellow Laker legend Jerry West revealed another team that could've landed the "Black Mamba."
During an appearance on "Podcast P with Paul George," West, now a consultant for the Clippers, recounted a story of Bryant wanting to play for the Grizzlies in 2004. At the time, West served as Memphis' general manager, and rather than recruiting Bryant to join the Grizzlies, he advised him to stay in Los Angeles.
"He became a free agent, OK?" West told host and Clippers star Paul George. "And he called me, and his agent then was Rob Pelinka. And so I met them in Orange County in a hotel room, and he said he wanted to come to Memphis and play basketball."
"And I looked at him, I said, 'Are you kidding me?' And he said, 'No.' And I said, 'Kobe, no, no. It's just you belong somewhere out here.' And even though he would have never played there, I just want to reassure him that don't feel like you have any obligation with me or the Grizzlies to play here."
West and Bryant developed a close relationship after "the Logo" worked the then-17-year-old out before the 1996 NBA Draft, to the point that West viewed himself as Bryant's "father figure." As it turns out, a potential move to Memphis wasn't the only time West urged Bryant to remain with the Lakers.
In 2020, when honoring Bryant at the Staples Center following his passing, West revealed that the 18-time All-Star was also interested in signing with the Clippers during the 2004 offseason. The crosstown rivals were a more likely destination for Bryant, who intended to sign with the Clippers until West pleaded that he did not play for former owner Donald Sterling.
It would've been strange to picture Bryant in any jersey other than the Lakers' purple and gold. Although it's intriguing to wonder whether he and Pau Gasol would capture the two titles they won together if they teamed up in Memphis.
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