Lakers news: Jerry West says Kobe Bryant was the best player in the 1996 NBA Draft

Jerry West says acquiring Kobe Bryant for the Lakers in the 1996 draft was an easy decision, claiming that Kobe was the best player of that draft class.

When Jerry West was still the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the best moves he made was trading for the rights to draft Kobe Bryant in 1996. The Black Mamba would eventually lead the Purple and Gold to five championships and would cement himself as one of the best players in the history of the NBA.

But West wouldn't have predicted that an 18-year old Bryant would become one of the greatest Lakers ever. He was recently a guest in the Dan Patrick Show, where he said that all he had in 1996 was the belief that Kobe was the best player in the draft.

Jerry West on acquiring Kobe Bryant in '96: "To me, he was a pretty easy selection. I thought he was the best player in the draft, to be honest with you.” via @dpshow

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 15, 2019

Bryant was selected 13th overall in 1996. At first, it was clear that first overall pick Allen Iverson was a cut above the rest. The Philadelphia 76ers legend wowed the crowd with sick crossovers and amazing athleticism. Meanwhile, Kobe struggled in his first two seasons in the league.

Kobe started to make a name for himself in year three, and from there, the rest is history.

Bryant would help the Lakers win three straight championships from 2000-2002. However, playing behind superstar center Shaquille O'Neal didn't sit well with the Black Mamba. In 2004, he made it clear that he wanted to lead the Lakers on his own.

Shaq was then traded to the Miami Heat, and from that point forward, Kobe was no doubt one of the most unstoppable scorers in the league. He then led the Lakers to two more titles in 2009 and 2010.

Unfortunately, Bryant's career came to a crashing end when he tore his Achilles in 2012. Although he played four more seasons after the devastating injury, it was clear that he was no longer the same player.

Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016.

The Lakers were fortunate enough to land a generational talent in Bryant 23 years ago, and they have Jerry West to thank for it. If only those 12 teams knew that the Black Mamba would end up with such a stellar career, they would've absolutely drafted him.