Kobe Bryant was invaluable to the Lakers, so much so that they told him he was a $100 bill and the rest of the NBA are $10 bills.
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As the dust around the Kevin Durant trade saga settles, it is time to revisit another Mexican stand-off. Going back to the 2007 off-season when Kobe Bryant demanded a trade.
Yes, if you didn’t know Kobe didn’t want to play for the Lakers after 2007. It had been four years since Shaq’s trade and it was terrible for the Lakers. Bryant, who was at the height of his powers was getting frustrated and he wanted out.
So, he exercised his powers and demanded a trade, a move no one saw coming. The NBA was sent into pandemonium. A player of Kobe’s caliber rarely ever becomes available for trade.
But what could teams do to acquire him? This was a player that had just scored 32 points per game last season, there is not a remotely conceivable package that could convince the Lakers to let go of him.
This is when a front office staff made a rather iconic phrase.
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On This Day in 2016: The City of Los Angeles declared 8/24 as “Kobe Bryant Day” pic.twitter.com/J8Ks3XNRyH
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 24, 2022
Lakers Staff equates Kobe Bryant to a $100 bill whereas the rest of the NBA is made up of $10 bills
We underestimate the power superstars hold and a player like Kobe Bryant, who was by far and out the best player in 2007, had all the cards in his hand.
The recent chaos created by Kevin Durant in the free-agency market shows us just how far teams were willing to go in order to acquire a star.
In 2007, the situation was eerily similar. Kobe wanted out. But the Lakers knew they could get almost no one in return. Teams tried. The Mavericks, Cavaliers, and San Antonio all threw their hat in the ring but none were regarded as suitable enough.
“We don’t quit. We don’t cower. We don’t run. We endure and conquer.”
Happy Birthday Kobe Bryant. We miss you every day. 🐍 pic.twitter.com/FWeSu0Cy29
— Kobe Highlights & Motivation (@kobehighlight) August 23, 2022
During the debacle, a front office executive coined the phrase “you’re a 100-dollar bill, I can’t trade you for ten 10s.”
Reportedly, Kobe was told something along the lines of: “you’re a 100-dollar bill, I can’t trade you for ten 10s.”
And they were absolutely right, and it’s a recurring theme among many failed superstar trades.
— Kicks (@kicks) August 23, 2022
The statement is a reminder that despite what teams think they can offer, certain stars have a far greater value than you can think of. Kobe was invaluable. There was possibly no trade that they would go for.
Perhaps he could be moved for LeBron James at the time? The Lakers did pursue that thread, however, LeBron was far too valuable for the Cavs. They didn’t see the trade as a non-zero-sum game.
Eventually, the fires quelled and the Lakers managed to keep Kobe. They traded for Pau Gasol and made three consecutive visits to the finals. They won two of them.
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