A young Kobe Bryant had mapped out what his future would be from the time he was a senior in high school. A prep star at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, the high-flying Bryant knew he wanted to be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers from the go.

Arn Tellem, who'd been a longtime player agent, was curious to see if Bryant would follow in the footsteps of his father Joe at LaSalle or turn pro. Bryant's answer was simple:

“I’m going to the NBA,” Bryant said, according to Tellem in a special to The Detroit Free Press. “I want to be the next Michael Jordan.”

Shortly after, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA Draft. Tellem knew of Bryant wanting to play for the Lakers, so he set up a private workout with the organization, getting him in the hands of then-general manager Jerry West.

Within only 20 minutes of a one-on-one scrimmage against veteran Michael Cooper, West had reached his verdict:

“I’ve seen enough,” West told Tellem. “This kid is the best talent in the draft.”

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This was a class that included other Hall of Famers like Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, and Steve Nash. While others were concerned about how high they'd go in the draft, Bryant's only preoccupation was wearing Lakers purple and gold at day's end.

To do so, Tellem and West teamed up to keep other teams from working Bryant out, thus allowing his stock to plummet until the Lakers could swing a trade with the Charlotte Hornets at the 13th spot.

The rest, is merely history.

The late Lakers legend will be honored in a public memorial at Staples Center on Monday.