As Los Angeles Lakers fans across the country commemorate the late Kobe Bryant, Jerry West reflected on his own personal relationship with five-time and explained how he will be remembered.
Bryant was taken 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft and two weeks later was traded to the Lakers for veteran center Vlade Divac. At the time, it was highly controversial to draft a player straight out of high school, and the Hornets gave indications they had no use for Bryant.
However, West saw something in Kobe that other teams did not and was willing to take the chance.