Before 2006, the NBA Draft’s eligibility rules allowed high school prospects to make the jump straight to the league skipping college. However, the legendary shooting guard nearly took the college route. Duke’s head coach at the time, Mike Krzyzewski, had a strong impression on the young star.
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So what would’ve happened if Bryant decided to become a Blue Devil?
Well-known NBA biographer, Roland Lazenby wrote the critically acclaimed biography Showboat, which captures Bryant’s career as a player. In an exclusive interview with The SportsRush’s Adit Pujari, Lazenby revealed the depths of Kobe’s desire to play at Duke.
At the time, Bryant didn’t have an NBA-ready body. The path to the NBA through college would’ve given him a few more seasons to become more ready for the league. Several top programs were interested in the skills of the Lower Merion High School guard, but Duke and North Carolina were his top choices.
However, one of the many reasons why Kobe skipped college was his deal with Adidas. Most top programs expected athletes to wear Nike, which was deal-breaker for then Adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro who had signed Kobe.
Bryant eventually elected to take the NBA route and was selected with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Shortly after, he was dealt to the Lakers in a trade for big man Vlade Divac.
Bryant was a stand-out high school player
By no means was Kobe a perfect player coming out of high school. However, he stood miles apart from his contemporaries.
In his senior season, Kobe averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds and 6.5 assists. His stellar play guided the Aces to the school’s first state championship in over 50 years. Bryant struggled to translate that success in his first season in the NBA.
If Kobe would’ve chosen to play for Duke, he could’ve learned a lot under Coach K’s reign. At the time, Coach K won back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Bryant would’ve been a perfect catalyst for a new era of Blue Devils dominance.
Coach K’s offensive philosophy stood on the grounds of movement and motion. The addition of Bryant at Duke would’ve allowed him to learn more offensive schemes such as the triangle offense earlier in his career. Bryant thrived in that offense under Phil Jackson, as they won five NBA championships.
Kobe struggled in his rookie season
Bryant received a rude awakening in his first season in the NBA. The increase in physicality took a toll on his production.
As a rookie, Kobe averaged only 7.6 points on 41.7% shooting from the field in 15.5 minutes per game. However, the transition between high school and college would’ve been more seamless for the Lakers star.
An extra year in college would have refined Bryant’s skill set significantly. Bryant notoriously shot four airballs in five minutes in the final minutes of a close game against the Jazz in the 1997 playoffs. The experience gained in college and in March Madness could have helped him avoid a moment like that.
#OTD in 1997: 18-year-old Kobe airballs 3 game-winning/tying shots (4 total in last 5 min).
Lakers get eliminated. Kobe got back to LA & went straight to get shots up until the sun came up.
Shaq grabbed Kobe after the game and told him “everybody’s laughing at you now, but one… pic.twitter.com/vUbGp9Mmnk
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) May 12, 2023
Additionally, an improvement in Bryant’s game in college may have positioned him for a higher selection in the draft.
However, Bryant eventually adjusted to the style of play in the NBA fairly quickly. In his second season, he received his first All-Star selection. In the following season, he earned All-NBA Third Team honors and became a mainstay for the award for the majority of his career.
Bryant finished his career with 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA selections, and 12 All-Defensive nods among many other accolades. Although he didn’t take the college route, he still had quite the career.
