As part of a brand new docuseries titled ‘Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,’ legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal sat down in front of the cameras to detail his experience as a Laker.
As he reflected on his career and the many special moments he enjoyed, he took a minute to remember the early stages of his partnership with Kobe. Bryant, who was drafted in 1996, was picked up by the Lakers in a draft-day trade with the Charlotte Hornets. He would play his first game as a Laker at 17 and would remain there for the next 20 years until his retirement in 2016.
Shaquille O’Neal Remembers When The Lakers Traded For Kobe Bryant
According to O’Neal, Jerry West predicted Kobe’s success before he was even in the league, which is partly why the Lakers always held a strong belief in what the young guy could do.
(via ESPN):
“The first thing Jerry West did when I got there, he sat me down and said ‘look up.’ He said ‘son, if you can win multiple championships, your name will be up there one day. He said ‘it ain’t gonna take long. I just signed this kid, you and him are gonna win a lot of championships,” Shaq said.
O’Neal also went on to explain how quickly he was accepted and revered by the team, the fans, and the city.
“He was loved from day one,” Shaq said. “The fans were going ‘Kobe, Kobe.'”
Shaq remembers finding out the Lakers drafted Kobe.
“He was loved from day one.”
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Of course, we know now what kind of player Kobe was. He was a special talent whose superior work ethic only further enhanced his game.
In Kobe’s case, he was a killer from day one, which is almost unprecedented today.
“He just had a work ethic about him even at 18 that a lot of 18-year-olds don’t have,” said Byron Scott about Bryant as a rookie. “He wasn’t a guy that was going out partying and things of that nature. He had a goal in mind from the day he stepped on the basketball court when he got drafted and that was to be the greatest player that he could possibly be and that’s what he told me ‘I want to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game.'”
In the end, it’s pretty clear that Kobe Bryant changed the Lakers, and the NBA forever. Besides all the things that his game and skill set brought to the table, it was his work ethic and mentality that really left their mark.
Today, even though Bryant isn’t around anymore, he is still celebrated by thousands every day for the life and career he was able to enjoy while he was alive.
There will never be another quite like him again.
