NBA Rumors: Kobe Bryant Tried to Lure Dirk Nowitzki to the Lakers
The nostalgia on Kobe Bryant who recently played his final NBA All Star game continues and the untold stories are still pouring in.
After that word last week where a possible trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers would have seen Bryant and LeBron James swap places, Kobe now reveals a possible scenario which would have seen him and Dallas Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki playing together had the opportunity allowed it.
Nowtizki is just two years short (18 years) of the total NBA tenure of Bryant (20 years) and throughout their respective careers, the Lakers star did at one point send feelers to the German star cager though he was pretty aware what the answer would be per the Bleacher Report.
Individually, both have been known to spearhead their respective teams and in a way, the revelation does come a bit of a surprise.
The only time when folks were able to see the two together as teammates were during NBA All Star appearances but there was no inkling that the two were that tight. And it makes one wonder how the Lakers would have pulled it off.
"Dirk and I have always had a great relationship, just because we're both extremely competitive and also both extremely loyal to our teams. I'll tell you a story about Dirk, he was up for free agency, and I knew what his response was going to be, but just out of respect, I said, 'Dude, everybody's looking around at all these free agents. I thought I'd just shoot you a text (to see) if you wanna come to LA,'" said Bryant via transcription made by CBS Sports.
Though Kobe didn’t mentioned when that exactly happened, it could have been during the years when the Lakers still had the likes of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum around. Could Mark Cuban have considered such a trade for his prized star? It doesn’t seem likely unless maybe it was Kobe himself included in the deal.
Either way, all that is another of the “what could have been” scenarios which is only natural as Kobe winds down his career.
Ironically, it will be interesting if Nowitzki would follow as well. Big Dirk is already 37 years old and is expected to serious consider retirement after this season as well.
Like Kobe, Dirk has shown that he still has the jets to play in the NBA. Though it may not be as explosive as he was in the past Dirk many have seen, the fact remains that he can still contribute in his own way as long as he is healthy.
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