Kobe Bryant reportedly got irrationally nervous about the Lakers cutting him late in his career and said he would join the Knicks if they did
- Kobe Bryant once got nervous late in his career that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to cut him even though there was no evidence that they planned to do so, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
- Bryant said if the Lakers cut him, he would join the New York Knicks, who were then run by Phil Jackson, Bryant's former coach.
- The Knicks and Bryant were linked several times during his career, with Bryant saying in 2019 that he used to be interested in playing full-time at Madison Square Garden.
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Kobe Bryant spent all 20 seasons of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but at times, he reportedly worried he would have to look for a new team.
In a piece on his interactions with Bryant, who was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that at one dinner, Bryant suddenly brought up the idea of Lakers cutting him to get his salary off the books.
Wojnarowski wrote that Bryant had "no evidence, just a hunch."
"I think [then-Lakers president Jim Buss] wants to do it," Bryant told Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski wrote that he told Bryant that it would never happen, saying, "They'd burn down the city." Still, Wojnarowski asked Bryant what he would do if it happened.
"I'll go to New York and play for Phil [Jackson]," Bryant said.
Of course, the Lakers did not amnesty Bryant. Wojnarowski wrote that it doesn't seem as if Buss ever considered the idea, "but Kobe couldn't stop talking about it that night. In some ways, it was a rare crisis of confidence for Bryant."
While the idea of the Lakers cutting Bryant seemed unfounded, Bryant had seemingly eyed the Knicks during his career.
In 2007, Bryant had requested a trade from the Lakers, saying he didn't believe the team could properly build around him. He went as far as to tell ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that the team couldn't repair the relationship.
Rumors circulated about the Knicks trying to trade for Bryant. The Lakers, of course, did not acquiesce to Bryant's demands. They ended up trading for All-Star big man Pau Gasol in 2008, beginning a run of three straight Finals appearances, with championships in 2009 and 2010.
In an interview with The Athletic's Frank Isola in 2019, Bryant said he used to dream of playing for the Knicks because he appreciated the history of Madison Square Garden.
"I always kind of dreamed about playing in New York and what that would have been like. It's true," Bryant said. "As a fan, the Garden was the historical arena ... So, I always wanted to be a part of that history and play in it. So, New York was a team … it would have been pretty good to play in that city."
On Sunday, following news of his death, Madison Square Garden changed its lights to purple and yellow and featured an image of Bryant.
Of course, the Lakers and Bryant rode things out together. Bryant ultimately finished his time with the Lakers and in the NBA with a bang, scoring 60 points in his final game.
Read Wojnarowski's piece here >
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