Kobe Bryant snuck in a golden nugget of truth during the release of his new book, “The Wizenard Series,” telling Frank Isola of The Athletic of a big what-if throughout his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The purple-and-gold icon said that if he could've played for any other team besides the Lakers, it would've been the New York Knicks:
Kobe said if he could have played anywhere else besides LA it would have been…..wait for it…the Knicks.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) March 20, 2019
Bryant was initially drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and consequently traded to Los Angeles, but maybe it is him being accustomed to the big city life that had him potentially eyeing the Knicks at some point in his career.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard once asked for a trade in the middle of his career, and while Dr. Jerry Buss made perhaps the wisest decision to stand pat and let it all wash away, perhaps Bryant would have become the King of New York if the late owner would have acquiesced to his desires.
Bryant would have been a smash hit in The Big Apple, but without the organizational structure that the Lakers enjoyed back in the day, it's tough to say if he would have had similar success playing for Jim Dolan like he did under Dr. Buss.
The Mamba's legacy has five rings to his name, but moving to the Knicks — as appealing as it sounds due to the grand stage and the allure of the city that never sleeps — could have cost him several championship rings in retrospect. That makes this potential destination a dodged bullet throughout his illustrious two-decade career in the league.
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