Charlotte Hornets — Kobe Bryant
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Credit Jerry West for having the foresight to see what a special player Kobe Bryant would turn out to be. Hailing from Lower Merion High School in the Greater Philadelphia area, the Lakers knew that they wanted Bryant badly. In a deal with Charlotte, LA traded fan favorite/All-Star center Vlade Divac for Bryant. In the process, this opened up the requisite cap space for the Lakers to sign Shaquille O’Neal. Talk about a banner day for the franchise.
We all know about Kobe’s story. He’s the closest thing to Michael Jordan — and is undoubtedly a top-10 player all-time. He helped the Lakers win five NBA Championships, and he made 18 All-Star appearances in the process.
