Jerry West admits he could have signed Kobe Bryant to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2003, but said ‘no’ to the late Lakers legend because he belonged in LA
- Jerry West was responsible for the day trade draft to bring Bryant to the Lakers
- Byrant re-signs for Lakers on a seven-year deal after testing free agency
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West has admitted he could have signed Kobe Bryant with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2003 offseason.
Bryant briefly tested free agency before signing a seven-year, $136.4 million contract with the Lakers following the departure of head coach Phil Jackson and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
‘He became a free agent, and his agent was then [current Lakers executive] Rob Pelinka. So I met them in Orange County in a hotel room and he said he wanted to come to Memphis and play basketball,’ West said while appearing on the Podcast P with Paul George to show.
“I looked at him and said, ‘Are you kidding me? “And he said ‘No’ and I said ‘Kobe, no, no,'” West continued. [in LA]okay?” And even if he would never have played [in Memphis]I wanted to reassure him that you don’t feel obligated to me or the Grizzlies to play here.
West was the Lakers general manager when the team traded draft rights to Bryant prior to the 1996-97 season, which he apparently alluded to by mentioning that Bryant had no obligation to continue playing for him.
Jerry West recently admitted he could have signed Kobe Bryant to the Memphis Grizzlies
Bryant tried out free agency in 2003 before re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers
West (L) was responsible for the day trade draft in which the Lakers acquired Bryant in 1996
“I guess in some sense it could have been a tampering. I didn’t consider it a falsification because he was with us all the time. He ate a lot at my house. I felt more like a father figure with him. I had a wonderful relationship with him.
In 2002, West was named general manager of the Grizzlies, a year before Bryant’s brief free agency that also saw him the late Lakers star decline an offer from the LA Clippers worth $100 million over six years. .
Bryant’s position potentially joining the Grizzlies may never be known, following his tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020, but the legacy he built in Los Angeles remains one of the greatest in history. the story of the game.
During his career, the 18-time All-Star has averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
