A Kobe Bryant NBA Draft movie titled “With the 8th Pick” is currently in the works at Warner Bros., according to Deadline. The move is based on a Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen-written spec script and provides a behind-the-scenes look from the New Jersey Nets’ standpoint as they courted Bryant.
“The project is told from the point of view of John Nash, the General Manager of the New Jersey Nets, and incoming coach John Calipari who really wanted Bryant. However, the New Jersey Nets were a broke organization, and Bryant was an LA Lakers fan.
“Not to mention, Bryant’s sneaker deal with Adidas would be worth more with the Lakers than had he signed with the Nets. Bryant was being courted to become Calipari’s first NBA draft pick, a move that could have changed the course of the NBA forever. It’s being described as Social Network meets Air meets Moneyball with a thriller bent.”
The film is set to be produced by Tim and Trevor White of Star Thrower Entertainment, along with Religion of Sports’ Ryan Stowell and Gotham Chopra. No director has been assigned to the project yet.
It is fascinating to think about how different recent NBA history would have been if Bryant had become a Net. Following the 1995-96 season, the Nets had won just one playoff series since moving to the NBA from the ABA in 1976.
The Nets ushered in a new era in 1996 by bringing in John Calipari as their head coach and John Nash as their general manager. Nash had ties to Philadelphia and knew all about the teenager who was wreaking havoc at Lower Merion High School.
The Nets had the eighth pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, and for a while, it looked like they would land Bryant. Unfortunately for the team, he later decided he didn’t want to play for them. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks revealed that Bryant’s camp had told them he would play in Italy if they picked him.
“We passed on Kobe in that ’96 draft,” Marks said. “… I don’t want my good friend Kerry Kittles to be mad at me. We passed on it because we thought Kobe was going to go and play in Italy. We were threatened that he was going… To this day, the greatest draft workout I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The Nets ended up selecting Kerry Kittles with the eighth pick. Kittles went on to make the All-Rookie Second Team, but that would prove to be his only accolade in the NBA.
As for Bryant, the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th pick and then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. He didn’t make any of the All-Rookie teams like Kittles, but he accomplished a lot more in the years that followed.
Bryant won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles in 20 seasons with the Lakers. He made 18 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 12 All-Defensive teams as well.
Would Bryant have had this much success with the Nets? It’s hard to say, but you’d imagine the franchise might have an NBA championship today if he had agreed to join in 1996.
