Kobe Bryant is one of the best players to ever step on a basketball court and for close to 20 years, he played with the Los Angeles Lakers. It's almost unfathomable to think Kobe could have played with any other team although many forget he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. Bryant's tenure with the team was short-lived as he was immediately traded to the Lakers on the day he was drafted. 

During a recent appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, Bryant spoke about what it was like being traded and how he was disrespected by the GM of the Hornets, Bob Bass. Bass came across pretty salty over trading Bryant and had some interesting words for him while delivering the news he was going to Los Angeles.

We couldn’t have used you anyway,” Bass told Kobe. As you can imagine, Bryant was pretty shocked by the comments and they ended up motivating him. “I was triggered. I was ready to go to the gym.”

In the end, Kobe got the last laugh as he went on to win five NBA championships while the Hornets have been irrelevant for decades. Despite being owned by Michael Jordan, the Hornets have yet to find success and are headed into yet another rebuild. Having said all that, we're sure Bryant is happy with how things turned out.

About The Author

Alexander Cole is the current Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. During this time, he has shown an expertise in Air Jordans, Yeezys, and all things that have to do with Nike. His favorite kicks are the Air Jordan 1 High OG, the Air Jordan 4, the Air Jordan 6, and the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in the "Beluga 2.0" colorway. Although his collection might not be the biggest, he is always looking to add new styles to it. When it comes to sports, Alex has a particular interest in the NBA and the NFL. His favorite teams are anywhere LeBron goes, and the Kansas City Chiefs. As a Montrealer, the Montreal Canadiens hold a special place in his heart, even if they haven't won the Stanley Cup in his lifetime. Alex also works for the Concordia Stingers, where he provides play-by-play and color commentary for the football, hockey, and basketball teams His favorite hip-hop artists are Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert.

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