Kobe Bryant Didn't Want To Rebuild With Different Team

Published on February 14th, 2024 1:22 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


It was 2007, and Kobe Bryant was pissed off.

Bryant, who was in the midst of an infamous feud with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, had just watched as his arch-nemesis had won his fourth title with the Miami Heat.

Shaq was milking it for all that it was worth, making sure to bury Kobe's nose in it any chance that he got.

The Lakers, on the other hand, were mediocre, coming off of a 42-40 season.

Kobe, who felt as though he had no help around him, wanted out of Los Angeles.

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There were multiple interested suitors in Kobe Bryant (obviously).

After all, Kobe was still just 29 years old, and was clearly one of the best players in the game.

The two teams that came closest to landing Kobe in 2007 - the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has said that he thought that he had a deal for Kobe - in fact, he even talked to the owner of the Lakers about the proposed deal.

The closest team to landing Bryant, in fact, ending up being the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls offered a monster deal - Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.

The deal was serious enough to make it to Kobe Bryant's ears.

Bryant was not interested in moving to Chicago if the Bulls were going to be giving up all of their key pieces to get him.

Namely, Deng was the key sticking point for Bryant - if Deng is coming to Los Angeles, Kobe reportedly said, I'm not agreeing to the deal.

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The deals fell apart, and Kobe ended up staying in Los Angeles.

Things obviously worked out for Kobe - the Lakers dramatically improved their team, and Kobe would go on to win two more NBA titles.