How did Kobe force the Charlotte-L.A. Draft Day Trade?

[QUOTE=hawkfan]Calipari wanted to draft Kobe for the Nets, but somehow that didn't go through. I don't know if it was Kobe or team management.

The Charlotte thing was not a hostage type deal - they wanted Vlade Divac and were willing to trade Kobe to get him.

Remember at that time, high school players going straight to the pros wasn't very common, and it usually took four or five years for a guy to get really good - see Jermaine O'Neal for more on that.[/QUOTE]
the way i heard it, ownership really wanted kittles for some reason, but agreed that if kittles wasn't available at their pick they would draft kobe.

[QUOTE=Da KO King]The shoe deal came later that summer. I'm almost 100% certain that Kobe's people were just advisors.

By only having them as advisors Kobe would keep his eligibility. Since Kobe's family still had a good deal of money from his dad's playing career they paid out the pocket for all the pre-draft workouts/training thus keeping him good for the NCAA.[/QUOTE]

[B]Wrong. Kobe Bryant did signed with an agent, before NBA draft night. He signed with legendary agency, William Morris Agency.[/B]

Bryant ended all speculation that winter during high school basketball season at a press conference in his high school Lower Merion gym when he announced that he had decided to take his talents to the NBA. Shortly after he signed on with the [B]William Morris Agency[/B], he signed multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas and Sprite. The news created mixed reviews.

:confusedshrug:

There are two versions of this story - despite bold posting, no one reaslly knows the answer (besides those who were involved).

In the Kobe is a prick version - KObe said at the draft said "I only want to play for the Lakers" - Yi style - so the Hornets were forced into makign the Vlade deal (which really wans't that bad for them)

In the Char is a bunch of idiots version - Char. did not value Kobe, but big genius Jerry West singularly recognized Kobe's greatness and Char made a terrible deal.

Both Char and Kobe worked hard to spin it the other way -- but since Kobe has been around longer than Char. mgmt and has more fans, his version is slowly becoming more the truth.

The truth likely lies in the middle. Kobe only wanted to play for LA. Total b!tch move, but we see it annually. Char did not value anyone in the draft after Kobe as much as the Lakers package (not a bad package at all) they agreed with LA for this deal.

[QUOTE=Da KO King]The shoe deal came later that summer. I'm almost 100% certain that Kobe's people were just advisors.

By only having them as advisors Kobe would keep his eligibility. Since Kobe's family still had a good deal of money from his dad's playing career they paid out the pocket for all the pre-draft workouts/training thus keeping him good for the NCAA.[/QUOTE]

But that has nothing to do with eligibility once you're drafted. The rules about agents only applied to declaring for draft. If you did not have an agent, but declared for draft, you could go back to school if no one selected you. If you were drafted, that was it.

[QUOTE=John Starks]There are two versions of this story - despite bold posting, no one reaslly knows the answer (besides those who were involved).

In the Kobe is a prick version - KObe said at the draft said "I only want to play for the Lakers" - Yi style - so the Hornets were forced into makign the Vlade deal (which really wans't that bad for them)

In the Char is a bunch of idiots version - Char. did not value Kobe, but big genius Jerry West singularly recognized Kobe's greatness and Char made a terrible deal.

Both Char and Kobe worked hard to spin it the other way -- but since Kobe has been around longer than Char. mgmt and has more fans, his version is slowly becoming more the truth.

The truth likely lies in the middle. Kobe only wanted to play for LA. Total b!tch move, but we see it annually. Char did not value anyone in the draft after Kobe as much as the Lakers package (not a bad package at all) they agreed with LA for this deal.[/QUOTE]


Charlotte did not see Kobe Bryant as a Super Star. They saw him as a high school kid not wanting to go to college. Char really needed a big man and the Lakers came into the picture. Char trades their #13 pick to the Lakers for a NBA All-Star in Divac. It was the perfect situation for them. But, Kobe Bryant turned out to be an NBA Super Star and the best player in the leauge..

[QUOTE=NewYorkUSCtrojan][B]Wrong. Kobe Bryant did signed with an agent, before NBA draft night. He signed with legendary agency, William Morris Agency.[/B]

Bryant ended all speculation that winter during high school basketball season at a press conference in his high school Lower Merion gym when he announced that he had decided to take his talents to the NBA. Shortly after he signed on with the [B]William Morris Agency[/B], he signed multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas and Sprite. The news created mixed reviews.[/QUOTE]How certain of the accuracy of this are you? Is it a entry from Wikipedia?

Kobe Bryant didn't turn 18 until AFTER he was drafted so I'm not sure if he would be able to sign with the WM agency. Plus WM only does marketing management so they couldn't speak on Kobe's behalf to a NBA team.

Maybe that's why he only had advisors. :confusedshrug:

according to sonny vicaro, addidas guy, west saw kobe work out and wanted him, west went to vicaro because addidas had a deal in place for kobe if he went pro. vicaro contacted kobe and kobe said if he could go to the lakers he would indeed turn pro, west and the hornets were already talking trade because of shaq and a deal was struck that they would draft kobe and trade him to the lakers, kobe hired an agent before the draft on the advice of vicarro and the rest is history... radio and the print media here in la knew for a week before the draft and were talking about it nonstop

[QUOTE=Da KO King]
Plus WM only does marketing management so they couldn't speak on Kobe's behalf to a NBA team.

Maybe that's why he only had advisors. :confusedshrug:[/QUOTE]


Are you this stupid? Or trying so hard to be right? William Morris signed Kobe for endorsement deals. Which you are correct. But if an athlete signs with any "AGENT", he/she loses his NCAA eligibility. So technically Kobe Bryant did sign with an Agent.

[QUOTE=SomeBunghole]But that has nothing to do with eligibility once you're drafted. The rules about agents only applied to declaring for draft. If you did not have an agent, but declared for draft, you could go back to school if no one selected you. If you were drafted, that was it.[/QUOTE]
Actually it used to be if you didn't like were you were selected you could go back.

You gotta remember what we're talking about was two CBA's ago.

nvm

[QUOTE=RiseUpAtlanta]I've always wondered how a 17-18 year old was able to get himself traded to a big market city...does anyone know the story? Why was he able to do it and not others?[/QUOTE]

He threatened to not play for anyone besides the L.A Lakers. NJ Nets were gonna draft him until he let them know he didnt wanna play for them. So they took Kerry Kittles and said screw you Kobe. Charlotte took him and I think they were gonna force him to play or use him as trade bait because he was too talented to pass up. Jerry West hounded them and pulled a trade.

Either way it came down to Kobe putting it out there to lottery teams he had no interest in playing for them while the Lakers tried to swing deals. Thats how I remember it.

[QUOTE=gts]according to sonny vicaro, addidas guy, west saw kobe work out and wanted him, west went to vicaro because addidas had a deal in place for kobe if he went pro. vicaro contacted kobe and kobe said if he could go to the lakers he would indeed turn pro, west and the hornets were already talking trade because of shaq and a deal was struck that they would draft kobe and trade him to the lakers, kobe hired an agent before the draft on the advice of vicarro and the rest is history... radio and the print media here in la knew for a week before the draft and were talking about it nonstop[/QUOTE]


Exactly...William Morris Agency step in and did all the contracts...Kobe Bryant did hired an agent before the draft..

[QUOTE=Da KO King]Actually it used to be if you didn't like were you were selected you could go back.

You gotta remember what we're talking about was two CBA's ago.[/QUOTE]the NBA's CBA has no effect on NCAA rulings

It would be great if everyone who is so ****-sure of their response would post some kind of source or footnote or link.

...because i think you guys don't know sh/1t.