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Hornets' sting help fuel Bryant's "killer instinct"

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Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant announced recently that he is retiring at the end of the current season (AFP Photo/Robyn Beck)

Los Angeles (AFP) - Kobe Bryant says his passion for winning was shaped in part by the snubbing he received from the team that drafted him into the NBA back in 1996.

Bryant was just 17 and fresh out of high school when he sat down immediately following the entry draft with head coach Dave Cowens of the Charlotte Hornets who had selected him with the 13th overall pick.

"Charlotte never wanted me.