Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the spec script With the 8th Pick, a film centered on the pivotal 1996 NBA Draft that brought Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a report from Matt Donnelly and J. Kim Murphy of Variety.
The screenplay, written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen, has drawn comparisons to Moneyball, The Social Network, and Air, combining the tension of sports decision-making with a thriller-style narrative.
Rather than a traditional biopic, the project focuses specifically on the two weeks leading up to the 1996 draft, told largely through the perspectives of New Jersey Nets general manager John Nash and incoming head coach John Calipari. The Nets, who held the eighth overall pick, were strongly considering Bryant as Calipari’s first NBA draft selection.
However, organizational financial struggles, external pressures, and Bryant’s preference for Los Angeles, where his Adidas sneaker deal promised greater value, ultimately prevented the Nets from making the move.
Instead, the Charlotte Hornets selected Bryant with the 13th overall pick and immediately traded him to the Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac. Divac went on to play only two seasons in Charlotte, while Bryant began a historic 20-year career in Los Angeles.
The script also features Bryant’s family background, with his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, expected to be included in the story. This approach differentiates With the 8th Pick from other recent basketball films, such as Ben Affleck’s Air, where Michael Jordan was portrayed as an offscreen presence.
Production duties will be handled by Tim and Trevor White of Star Thrower Entertainment, best known for King Richard, along with Ryan Stowell and Gotham Chopra of Religion of Sports. Chopra previously directed the 2015 documentary Kobe Bryant’s Muse. No director or cast has been announced yet.
Bryant’s career resume is among the most decorated in NBA history with championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP (2008), and 18 All-Star selections. He retired in 2016 at age 37 after scoring 60 points in his final game against the Utah Jazz. He later won an Academy Award in 2018 for his animated short Dear Basketball. His life was tragically cut short in January 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others.
