Going into the 1996 NBA Draft the Los Angeles Lakers were intent on figuring out a way to acquire high school guard Kobe Bryant.
In his workout for the team, Kobe impressed everyone, but especially then-General Manager Jerry West, who was willing to do whatever it took to get Bryant in purple and gold. Bryant’s agent at the time, Arn Tellum, began telling teams that Kobe wouldn’t sign if they drafted him, which scared off most, if not all front offices.
One well known rumor is that the New Jersey Nets were willing to draft him regardless, and that John Calipari was pushing for it, but was ultimately overruled.