Kobe Bryant played his whole 20-season career with the purple and gold, enjoying one of the most storied careers with the Los Angeles Lakers. Nonetheless, there were moments during his tenure when it appeared as though he might be moving.
There were undoubtedly arguments between the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant. There will inevitably be snags in the relationship that need to be sorted out, especially in a partnership that spans two decades in sports.
Kobe Bryant has at least once in his career desired a move to a different area. There were talks with other organizations and he wanted to be traded. NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski recently talked about some of the biggest transactions in NBA history that never happened on Pardon My Take on Barstool Sports.
Wojnarowski went on to describe how close a deal including the Black Mamba was reached. The foundation of a deal with the Detroit Pistons was completed, according to Wojnarowski via NBA Retweet on X, with Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince serving as the pieces that would return to Los Angeles with draft picks.
The Los Angeles Lakers were following the wishes of their star player, even if it wasn’t a transaction they wanted to make. However, after Kobe Bryant visited with Dr. Jerry Buss and reiterated his commitment to the team, the agreement fell through.
If the Los Angeles Lakers and Pistons had completed the trade, just think of how the NBA landscape might have changed. After winning two more titles with the team, Kobe Bryant cemented his reputation as one of the greatest players of all time.
Conversely, Detroit has been sent to purgatory. When trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers were taking place, in 2008, was the last time they had won a postseason series.
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