Entering the NBA at the tender age of seventeen, Bryant immediately became a fascinating figure. His swagger and arrogance rubbed many the wrong way, a seventeen year old rookie with an extreme feeling of self-entitlement that irritated veterans and coaches alike. However, much of this behavior is merely Bryant’s undying quench for success.
Facing seemingly impossible expectations out of high school, Bryant built the hype even more with his attitude and pride, but understood what it was going to take for him to meet the endless demands. When Bryant announced his decision to jump straight to the NBA it was met with surprise and skepticism by many, for in 1996 players didn’t jump straight to the Association from high school, in fact only one player, Kevin Garnett, had made the leap in the several years before Bryant. Many felt that he would be over his head in the NBA, and for a while he was.
As the thirteenth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, a draft that now is arguably one of the best ever, Bryant was taken by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to Los Angeles for center Vlade Divac. Bryant joined a Lakers team that already had a talented back court duo of Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones, and spent much of his rookie season on the bench.
Kobe’s desire and belief in himself led him to express his displeasure with his playing minutes, which led to rifts between Bryant and Lakers coach Del Harris. However, Kobe’s popularity began to grow as the rest of the basketball world was beginning to see just how talented the young star was. Bryant won the NBA Slam Dunk contest his rookie season, earning himself a reputation as a high flying star. However his rookie season ended in disaster as Bryant hurled three air balls in crunch time which led to the Lakers demise at the hands of the Utah Jazz. Interesting enough, it would be shots similar to these he missed in Utah back in 1997 that would begin to form Bryant into a truly legendary player.
The next few seasons allowed Bryant to showcase his skills and improve his game as he thrust himself in the center of the basketball spotlight. Several All-Star appearances boosted his popularity and allowed the rest of the league to see the budding superstar that was rapidly developing in Los Angeles. The combination of Bryant and fellow superstar Shaquille O’Neal culminated in three straight NBA championships starting in the 1999-2000 season and cemented Bryant’s status as one of the league’s best.
However, Lakers fans and NBA fans as well understood that the leader of those teams was not Bryant, but O’Neal. Certainly those titles would not have been possible without Bryant, but for Kobe, he was not quite ready to lead a team. This was a burden that Bryant carried with him for years and became a consistent theme that Bryant would have to fight off for a large portion of his career. The apparent unwillingness by the Lakers’ two stars to push aside their differences resulted in the dismantling of the Lakers and the derailing of a dynasty.
Next: Rebuilding A Legacy…
