The future Hall of Famer took over as the Los Angeles Lakers' starting 2-guard at the beginning of the 1998-99 campaign, and he was so successful in his role that Eddie Jones almost immediately became expendable. Despite the fact that the 27-year-old was coming off back-to-back All-Star campaigns, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. Bryant ensured that he wasn't missed too much.
But now, he could be gearing up for a season in which he spends quite a bit of time at the 3. After years of holding down the fort as the NBA's standard-bearer at shooting guard, battling it out with Dwyane Wade for positional supremacy during the mid-2000s and finally ceding the crown to the new crop of dominant backcourt players, it may be time for Bryant to shift over in the lineup.