From 1996 to 2016, Kobe Bryant took the NBA by storm with the Los Angeles Lakers. During his time with the team, he became an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, a 12-time All-Defensive selection, a five-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champion, and a one-time MVP. Furthermore, he was a two-time Olympic gold medalist. One of the best basketball players to play the game, Bryant was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2020.
Despite having a fantastic career, the last few seasons of Bryant’s career were brutal. He missed the playoffs in each of his final three seasons and became a shell of what he was at his peak. Nonetheless, the Philadelphia native kept his competitive mindset, attempting to win at least one more championship after 2010. And, apparently, he was interested in becoming teammates with numerous stars in the league at the time.
In a recent report, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Bryant attempted to recruit three of the NBA’s top stars during his final seasons in the NBA. The players Shelburne mentioned were LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins, and most notably, Dwyane Wade.
“Still, Bryant had tried to cajole the Lakers into fielding better teams around him in his final few seasons in L.A., recruiting free agent forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, and encouraging a trade for Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, sources said.”
Kobe Bryant Reportedly Recruited 3 Stars During Final Seasons
What Could Have Been for the Los Angeles Lakers
Shelbourne notes that Aldridge was a free agent at the time of Bryant’s recruitment. This was during the 2015 offseason. At the time, the Lakers just finished the season with a 21-61 record. This was easily the team’s worst record with Bryant on the roster to that point. Ultimately, Aldridge signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Furthermore, Wade stayed one more year with the Miami Heat before joining the Chicago Bulls the following summer. As for Cousins, he spent one more full season with the Sacramento Kings before they traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017. Interestingly, Cousins did eventually join the Lakers in 2019. However, he never suited up for the team due to injury.
There is no telling what adding any of these players could have done for Bryant and the Lakers. However, it is safe to assume the Lakers would have been better off than they were. In Bryant’s last season with the Lakers, the team won just 17 games.
The Last Word On Kobe Bryant
Despite the last few years of his NBA career being lackluster, Bryant remains one of the NBA’s greatest players in history. He was dominant during his prime and was the face of a generation. However, it is an interesting hypothetical to think about how different his career would be if his recruitment attempts had been successful in 2015.
