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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant explains why the Clippers passed on him despite his strong draft workout

Originally posted on HITC | By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Kobe Bryant was taken 13th in the 1996 NBA Draft, which means several teams passed on him. Among them were the Los Angeles Clippers, who held the seventh pick.

Despite not having a high pick that year, the Lakers found a way to bring Bryant to LA. Their only draft pick that year was the 24th overall selection, which they used on future five-time champion Derek Fisher.

Even though some within the Lakers organisation had doubts at first, it worked out brilliantly for both sides. The Clippers had their chance with the seventh pick but chose Lorenzen Wright instead.

Clippers choose Wright over Bryant with seventh pick

Lorenzen Wright, who spent three seasons with the Clippers, didn’t make a huge impact during his time there. Although he was a decent rebounder and occasionally started games, he mostly played as a backup centre and never averaged more than 10 points per game. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant went on to build a legendary career with the Lakers.

The Clippers had their doubts about Bryant’s potential and decided against taking him, opting instead for Wright. Back then, Wright was coming off an impressive college career at Memphis, where he had been named second-team All-American.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

But that decision ended up costing them dearly. While Bryant became one of the game’s most intimidating presences, the Clippers missed out because they weren’t ready to take that leap.

Bryant later spoke about it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, explaining how it all unfolded: “So I said, ‘Alright, you’re going to draft me?’ So I asked them why they wouldn’t draft me? They said ‘Well, we want to turn things around with our organization. And we felt like if we drafted a 17-year-old kid, then the city of Los Angeles wouldn’t take it seriously. So they said we can’t draft you,”

Bryant wasn’t one to let something like that slide. He used the snub as motivation throughout his career. In 69 regular-season meetings between the Lakers and Clippers, Bryant averaged 24.9 points per game and led the Lakers to 47 wins.

Kobe Bryant’s draft workout with The Clippers is still remembered

Back in 2016, Kobe Bryant shared his thoughts on what motivated him throughout his career. During a sit-down with Ben Houser of Bleacher Report, he spoke about what kept him going and made sure to mention the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bryant, at just 17 years old, had been a target for the Clippers after his impressive solo workout. He was initially hoping to be picked by them since he grew up in LA. He even mentioned that the idea of not being drafted never entered his mind.

The decision was between Bryant and Wright. It made sense to go with Wright at the time since he already had a few years under his belt, but the pick backfired as Bryant went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

While it may seem like an easy decision now, choosing an NBA prospect over an NCAA player was much riskier then than it is today.

The Clippers weren’t alone in missing out on Bryant; five other teams did so before Charlotte traded him to Los Angeles. Teams rarely took chances on young players who skipped college altogether, but that attitude has changed over time.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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