For two decades, Kobe Bean Bryant ruled the NBA in a Purple and Gold jersey. As an 18x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, and 5x NBA Champion, Bryant achieved amazing things as a Laker and led them to extraordinary success during his tenure with the franchise.
Today, he is celebrated not only for all that he was able to do but also the fact that he did it all with one team.
And while that level of loyalty is one of the awesome details of Kobe’s career, it doesn’t mean he didn’t have thoughts about donning a different jersey.
On one occasion, he apparently made a verbal commitment to join the Clippers long before eventually re-signing with the Lakeshow. And, most recently, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss admitted that the scenario was actually “very possible.”
“I never had that conversation with Kobe, but there was a game where he wore Clipper colors,” Buss said. “Not even the jersey, he wore the colors. Very subtle. I could see, he loves challenges and that would have been a huge thing, right? So I do think that was something that was very possible.”
As Jeanie pointed out, Kobe loved challenges. He always wanted to push himself further and give himself a new obstacle to tackle.
For a franchise like the Clippers, who had been mired in mediocrity for years, it would have been pretty hard to turn things around and install a winning culture. Of course, if anybody could have done it, it was Kobe.
Fortunately, Kobe did stick around with his original franchise, and he left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. As for the Clippers, they still have yet to win their first Championship, but that might soon be changing.
