The New Jersey Nets' decision to pass on Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft will haunt the franchise for eternity. While many Nets fans have attempted to suppress that memory, Bryant's infamous threat to the team and subsequent selection by the Los Angeles Lakers could soon hit the big screen.
According to Deadline, a screenplay about Bryant's draft day story, titled With the 8th Pick, has landed at Warner Bros.
The movie is reportedly told from the point of view of former Nets general manager John Nash and incoming coach John Calipari. It details the story of how Bryant leveraged his way away from New Jersey and to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nets' decision to pass on Kobe Bryant subject of new Warner Bros. movie
Nash and Calipari had well-documented interest in Bryant leading up to the draft. The team was reportedly set to select the high school phenom until they received a call from his agent, Arn Tellem, who threatened that Bryant would play in Italy if they took him.
New Jersey ultimately passed on Bryant, selecting Kerry Kittles with the No. 8 pick. The Charlotte Hornets selected Bryant with the No. 13 pick and subsequently traded him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.
During an interview with ClutchPoints, longtime Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle detailed what went on behind the scenes leading up to the team's 1996 draft.
“My understanding was that John Nash stood very firm on telling John Calipari, ‘Look, don't take the cheese. He's gonna play for us. If we take him, he's gonna play for us. The Kid wants to play in the NBA.' Arn Tellem was Kobe's agent and continued to send the message to the Nets, ‘Hey, he'll go to Italy. He's comfortable there. He speaks fluent Italian. He has no problem going there. He's not gonna play for you guys,'” Eagle said. “This was John Calipari's first major decision as an NBA head coach and running basketball operations… He knew that everybody in the NBA was watching, and if he tossed an airball and the guy that he says is gonna change the franchise doesn't ever play for the franchise, he might look at that as irreparable. And that was his thought process.
“I know John Nash from his Philly days, Washington days. He had a deep Philadelphia connection. He knew that Kobe Bryant was gonna be a star, and I believe John Calipari knew it as well. I do think Cal wanted to take him, but I do think he got cold feet based on what could have happened if Kobe didn't sign with the Nets… I think if John Nash had his way, yes, they would've taken him and would have tested Arn Tellem and Kobe's hand to see if they really were gonna hold out and play in Italy.”
"I think if Nets GM John Nash had his way, they would have taken Kobe Bryant."
-Ian Eagle on the New Jersey Nets' 1996 draft
Listen to the full episode of Bleav in Nets here: https://t.co/IfVGnYprNN pic.twitter.com/v3v2SHW1B1
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) July 11, 2024
ESPN insider Bobby Marks, who was serving as an intern for the Nets in 1996 and was later named the team's assistant general manager, corroborated Eagle's account.
“I concur and know that for a fact,” he said of Nash wanting to select Bryant.
I concur and know that for a fact
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 11, 2024
Kittled wound up having a solid career with the Nets, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 44/38/78 shooting splits over seven seasons. However, Bryant became one of the NBA's all-time greats, winning five championships and earning 18 All-Star selections over 20 seasons.
The Lakers star died in 2020 in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter Gianna and eight other passengers.
Nets fans will spend the rest of their lives wondering what could have been had the team selected Bryant. Like it or not, they may soon get an inside look at the team's blunder on the big screen.
