'I know Kevin Garnett was a great player, but he wasn't Kobe Bryant' - Jerry West on why he would never pick KG over KB

In the 1995 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves bet big on high school prodigy Kevin Garnett by selecting him as their fifth overall pick. The move seemingly sparked a new trend in the league since a Lower Merion standout named Kobe Bryant was picked 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft.

To spice things up, the legendary Jerry West, then Los Angeles Lakers general manager, traded for KB, which was then seen either as a ridiculous or the greatest trade draft trade of all time.

West picks KB over KG

As it turned out, Bryant became a legend of the sport, and so did Garnett. If Jerry picked or traded for Kevin in 1995, he would still be regarded as a front-office genius. However, "The Logo" wasn't entirely sold on "The Ticket's" talents. West's eyes were locked on the shooting guard, and "Mr. Clutch" had a very good reason why he bet big on Kobe.

"Well, I know Kevin Garnett was a great player, OK, but he wasn't Kobe Bryant. He just wasn't," he said in 2016, per ESPN.

"Kevin was an incredible team player. He was a great rebounder, great defender, and his career showed that. Kobe Bryant was all of those things, plus he was a scorer also. Kevin was not a great scorer. A really good scorer, but not like Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant could score 30 in a quarter. What did he score, 81 in a game? Coach took him out. I wanted to see if he could score a hundred, but he didn't get a chance," West added.

Jerry saw greatness in Bean

This wasn't a knock on the "Big Ticket." Drafting a player is all about preference and priorities. To recall, West was also a guard who could score and defend. In many ways, he saw himself in "The Black Mamba's" playstyle and knack for dominating on both ends of the floor.

Also, picking Kobe set Jerry's plans to get Shaquille O'Neal in motion. "The Logo" believed the two basketball savants would perfectly complement each other's talents, much like he did with Wilt Chamberlain.

West's hunch was right on the money. Bryant turned out to be not just a good player but an all-time great who helped the Purple & Gold win three straight championships with Shaq. When O'Neal left, people were curious if the Philly native could win without the "The Diesel."

It was a rough time in Kobe's career. Not only was he losing more than he was winning, but Bryant's stature as an all-time great was being questioned.

But "The Black Mamba" kept working and believed in himself. When KB won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, critics hid in their caves. West embraced Bryant — his greatest pick and the most outstanding player in his eyes.