Kobe Bryant: How He Almost Became A Chicago Bull

Kobe Bryant is widely considered the closest thing to Michael Jordan since … well, Michael Jordan. But, did you know Kobe almost literally followed in Jordan’s footsteps and became a Chicago Bull?

For the entirety of Kobe Bryant‘s career, he has been constantly compared to his predecessor and the favorite for the title of the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan.

From his moves to his competitive drive to his tongue-wagging swagger, many have viewed the Black Mamba as a carbon copy of Jordan for better or for worse. The comparison rings so true for fans that Bryant has unanimously been deemed “the closest thing to Jordan since Jordan” by many critics and followers of the game.

Bryant followed in MJ’s steps in the individual record books and in championship pedigree, passing his idol on the all-time scoring list and winning one fewer title than Jordan’s six.

However, Bryant almost followed in His Airness’ footsteps in a much more literal way. He almost became a Chicago Bull.

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Let’s go back to 2007, when the Bulls had an up and coming young roster headlined by a promising young players like Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and a rookie center named Joakim Noah, along with veteran center and four time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace.

On the other side of the country, the Los Angeles Lakers were struggling to return to their winning ways following Shaquille O’Neal‘s exit a few years prior, becoming a frequent first-round exit despite Kobe’s gargantuan heroics.

Like any superstar in their prime on a losing team would, Bryant grew frustrated. That frustration came to a head at the start of the 2007-08 season.

After disagreements with the front office on how the team should be structured, Bryant went public with adamant requests to be traded in the 2007 offseason in an interview with Stephen A. Smith on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. In the weeks that followed, Bryant asserted his desire to be traded only to back off of such demands and then request to be traded again.

The Lakers had all but pulled the trigger on a different blockbuster deal that would’ve sent Bryant to the team he’d lost to in the Finals three years earlier in the Detroit Pistons, but the Mamba shut it down with his contract’s no-trade clause.

Finally, in November 2007, a monumental deal came down the pipe that could’ve changed the makeup of the league as we know it.

March 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) moves the ball against the defense of Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Lakers, along with the Bulls with rumored involvement from the Sacramento Kings, concocted a three-way deal that would’ve sent Bryant to the Bulls, Wallace and Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) to L.A. and Ben Gordon to Sacramento.

Now — just picture that for a second. Bryant goes to Chicago to team up with Deng and Noah while Wallace and Artest, both of whom were still legitimate players at the time, join a sub-par Lakers roster that probably would’ve been headed for a rebuild at that point.

That likely means Pau Gasol doesn’t come to L.A. in a trade a couple of months later and that the Bulls would’ve been just good enough to miss out on landing Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft. That could’ve also meant that the Heat may have landed the top pick and paired him with Dwyane Wade and, later on, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

Yikes.

With Bryant confirming years later that Chicago was his top trade destination, the deal was all but done — until it wasn’t.

Nov 18, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) dribbles the ball around Charlotte Bobcats small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 86-81. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

The Lakers were reportedly adamant about the inclusion of Deng and Noah in any deal for Bryant, while Kobe remained staunchly opposed to any proposal that would’ve removed the former from the Bulls’ roster.

Unable to agree on who should be included in the deal, both teams moved on. The Lakers acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies the following February and returned to championship form while the Bulls obtained a new face of the franchise in Rose the next June.

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While some fans will speculate on what could’ve been for both franchises and the league overall had the deal worked out, it’s safe to say the trade that never was worked out well for both teams.

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