During the off-season, a common issue in the NBA involves players requesting trades when they feel that their team isn’t aligning with their career goals and ambitions.
This issue mostly happens when the team doesn’t invest in a level of challenge for a title. However, this was the situation Kobe Bryant found himself in with the LA Lakers. The NBA world was left surprised by Kobe’s decision, which later led to two NBA championships for the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant’s trade request led to Lakers’ back-to-back titles
After Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant was at that time the face of the Lakers. Coming after winning a three-peat alongside Shaq in 2000-2002,following a championship drought of five years, Kobe felt it was time for him to move on unless the Lakers signed some other good guys to join him in challenging for the NBA title again.
However, in 2007, Kobe Bryant wanted to leave the Lakers but couldn’t find a trade. Despite this, the team still won two more titles with Bryant as the NBA Finals MVP. Kobe Bryant told “Grantland Basketball Hour.” “I really wanted to go to Chicago,” and he also turned down a Lakers trade to the Detroit Pistons.
He explained, “I gave them a list of teams I’d go to, but not Detroit.” The Lakers talked to the Bulls about a trade, but it seemed to stall over Luol Deng’s inclusion. In the end, no trade happened, and the Lakers kept Kobe. Later on, they brought in Pau Gasol and won championships in 2009 and 2010.
How many years did Kobe Bryant play for the Lakers?
One of the greatest LA Lakers stars Kobe Bryant had a remarkable path to the team. He began playing after the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th overall choice in the 1996 NBA Draft, but on draft night, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant’s incredible 20-year tenure with the Lakers officially began with this deal and ended when he retired in 2016.
Bryant amassed one of the best records in NBA history during his two decades with the Lakers. He led the group to five NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVP awards. In addition to numerous other accomplishments, Bryant secured the regular-season MVP award, participated in 18 All-Star games, earned a spot on 15 All-NBA teams, and was selected for 12 All-Defensive teams.
Bryant, upon his retirement, stood as arguably the greatest and most beloved player in Lakers history. His remarkable 20-year tenure with the team remains a franchise record by a significant margin. All of these achievements added to the significance for Lakers fans during Bryant’s farewell tour in the 2015–16 season. Bryant enjoyed one of the most illustrious careers one could ever imagine.
