We know it, even if Kobe Bryant spent his entire career in Los Angeles, there were times when the story could have been very different. Besides Detroit and Chicago, even the Clippers, it’s Memphis who could have recovered it in the past, according to jerry west.
We are then in the summer of 2004. The Lakers have just lost to the Pistons in the Finals and the “Black Mamba” is at a turning point, because he is at the end of his contract and free to sign wherever he wishes for the very first time. Except that his re-signing with the “Purple & Gold” is far from guaranteed, since he no longer supports Shaquille O’Neal and that makes their cohabitation more difficult than ever.
Inevitably, in the offseason, everything suggests that the Californian leaders will have to make a choice between their two superstars and Kobe Bryant takes the lead by meeting Jerry West. The man who considers him his son, the man who brought him to Los Angeles and the man who was then the leader (GM) of the Grizzlies…
” I met [Kobe et son agent, Rob Pelinka] in Orange County, in a hotel room. He told me he wanna come and play in Memphis », remembers the « Logo », in Paul George’s podcast.
A real surprise in the eyes of Jerry West, still struggling to put a young franchise on the NBA map. ” I looked at him and asked him if he was kidding me, but he said no. »
The advice of a “father” to his “son”
The leader of Memphis could very well have taken advantage of the situation to achieve one of the greatest blows in history, which he is finally used to, except that he claims to have preferred to dissuade Kobe Bryant from settling in the Tennessee, rather than associating it with a certain Pau Gasol…
” I said to him, ‘Kobe, no. No. Your place is not here. I just wanted to reassure him that he had no obligation to me, or the Grizzlies, to the point of coming to play. [à Memphis] “, indicates Jerry West, undoubtedly in reference to a possible recognition due to the impact which it could have on the beginning of career of the “Black Mamba”, by tearing it away from the Hornets to place it directly at the Lakers, for win three titles at 23.
A decisive meeting, but not necessarily legal in the eyes of the league, because Kobe Bryant, Lakers player, was maneuvering behind the scenes, and well before the opening of “free agency” with the GM of the Grizzlies…
” In a way, I suppose it could have been considered tampering, but I didn’t see it as such, since he was at home all the time. He often ate at my house. I considered myself more like a father to him, I had a wonderful relationship with him. Forget the purely basketball aspect “says Jerry West.
Finally, the advice of the “Logo” seems to have hit home with Kobe Bryant, because the latter extended to Los Angeles for 136 million dollars over seven years.
Even if it was certainly Shaquille O’Neal’s departure to Miami that prompted the “Black Mamba” to return to California, since his re-signing fell the day after the transfer of the “Big Diesel”…
| Kobe Bryant | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1996-97 | ALL | 71 | 16 | 41.7 | 37.5 | 81.9 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 7.6 |
| 1997-98 | ALL | 79 | 26 | 42.8 | 34.1 | 79.4 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 15.4 |
| 1998-99 | ALL | 50 | 38 | 46.5 | 26.7 | 83.9 | 1.1 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 19.9 |
| 1999-00 | ALL | 66 | 38 | 46.8 | 31.9 | 82.1 | 1.6 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 22.5 |
| 2000-01 | ALL | 68 | 41 | 46.4 | 30.5 | 85.3 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 28.5 |
| 2001-02 | ALL | 80 | 38 | 46.9 | 25.0 | 82.9 | 1.4 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 25.2 |
| 2002-03 | ALL | 82 | 42 | 45.1 | 38.3 | 84.3 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 30.0 |
| 2003-04 | ALL | 65 | 38 | 43.8 | 32.7 | 85.2 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 24.0 |
| 2004-05 | ALL | 66 | 41 | 43.3 | 33.9 | 81.6 | 1.4 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 27.6 |
| 2005-06 | ALL | 80 | 41 | 45.0 | 34.7 | 85.0 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 35.4 |
| 2006-07 | ALL | 77 | 41 | 46.3 | 34.4 | 86.8 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 31.6 |
| 2007-08 ★ | ALL | 82 | 39 | 45.9 | 36.1 | 84.0 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 28.3 |
| 2008-09 | ALL | 82 | 36 | 46.7 | 35.1 | 85.6 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 26.8 |
| 2009-10 | ALL | 73 | 39 | 45.6 | 32.9 | 81.1 | 1.1 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 27.0 |
| 2010-11 | ALL | 82 | 34 | 45.1 | 32.3 | 82.8 | 1.0 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 25.3 |
| 2011-12 | ALL | 58 | 39 | 43.0 | 30.3 | 84.5 | 1.1 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 27.9 |
| 2012-13 | ALL | 78 | 39 | 46.3 | 32.4 | 83.9 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 0.3 | 27.4 |
| 2013-14 | ALL | 6 | 30 | 42.5 | 18.8 | 85.7 | 0.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 0.2 | 13.8 |
| 2014-15 | ALL | 35 | 35 | 37.3 | 29.3 | 81.3 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 0.2 | 22.3 |
| 2015-16 | ALL | 66 | 28 | 35.8 | 28.5 | 82.6 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 17.6 |
| Total | 1346 | 36 | 44.7 | 32.9 | 83.7 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 25.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
