Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association.

Was Kobe Bryant drafted at 17?

In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Hornets selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall pick. Before he was chosen by the Hornets, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts.

Why did the Hornets trade Kobe Bryant?

Bryant, who was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, harbored resentment toward the Hornets for moving him. In 2014, he tweeted that the Hornets traded him because "they had no use for me."