The late Los Angeles Lakers icon in Kobe Bryant was known for mentoring select up-and-coming players after his retirement from a decorated 20-year playing career back in 2016. One of them was Anthony Davis, who worked out together with the Lakers legend back in the summer of 2018.
After the training session, Davis' game on the court eventually left an imprint on Bryant who went on to call his good friend in Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka for a bid to recruit the big man to come and play for the Purple and Gold.
“Hey, you know I don’t give you GM advice,” Bryant said via Sports Illustrated. “But if you ever get a chance to get this guy, he is the avatar of what you want. His level of footwork, his dexterity, his mastery of the details of the game. Guys like this are generational players.”
Pelinka listened and engineered a blockbuster trade to acquire the seven-time All-Star in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, three-first round picks along with the Lakers' 2019 4th overall pick.
Despite trading their young core and a bevy of assets, the Lakers managed to get their money's worth as Davis impressed in his first campaign for the team. He generated norms of 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists through 62 games played last season.
Davis then became one of the building blocks of the Lakers' 2020 championship team and was eventually rewarded with a massive deal five-year, $190 million contract during the offseason.
With the generational star now secured with the team for the coming years, the Lakers' bid to snag consecutive titles has now become a glaring possibility, all thanks to Kobe Bryant.
Follow Us
Subscribe