In a White Limo and With His Girlfriend, 17 Year Old Kobe Bryant Infuriated His Jealous Classmates

Kobe Bryant was a superstar before he even became a superstar. Only at 17, Kobe had an unwavering belief in himself. Despite the immense talent, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe as their 13th pick. Moreover, they were ready to trade him after the draft. Jerry West, the NBA logo himself, saw the potential in Kobe, which the Hornets probably did not. Everyone could feel Kobe ‘might’ be a good player, but to this extent, only West predicted. And that is why he brought Kobe to the Lakers.

Kobe was so good that he never played college basketball. And the fact that he did not play college basketball was probably the reason why the Hornets could not see his full potential. Straight out of high school, Kobe registered himself for the draft and even before his high school prom, he knew he was going to play in the NBA. He had signed a big-money contract with the Lakers and he showed it off to everybody in his high school with his extravagant presence.

Bryant arrived for his high school prom in a white limousine. He was wearing a tuxedo. His prom date, popstar Brandy Norwood, accompanied Kobe. His batchmates were not particularly elated with Kobe’s presence. Where few students of Lower Merion could do the prom without Kobe, some really hated all the attention towards him. 

Also Read: 25 Years of Kobe Bryant: When the Lakers Star Had a Forgetful Debut Before Turning Things Around in Style

For high school students, prom is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So it was understandable why many students did not like Kobe being the star of the night. Attracting all the attention, Kobe arrived 3 hours late. The 17-year-old already had the attitude and the ways of an NBA star. Where he did not care much and enjoyed all the attention he was getting.

The first game Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers

In his first season, Kobe was not given much playing time. The team was transitioning. The focus was on already existing veterans and the new star man, Shaquille O’Neal who was starting to get to his prime. But even at 17, even before his debut, Kobe believed in himself that he would make it big. However, both legends soon understood their potential and ended up winning a three-peat between the years 2000-2003.

Kobe’s first game was when he was 18 years old. So he obviously did not start. He made his debut on November 3, 1996. He only played for 6 minutes and 22 seconds to be precise and went scoreless.

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But more importantly, that fired him up. Many people did not believe the promise of that 18-year-old boy. So Kobe Bryant had to prove all of them wrong, which he did. This is why Kobe, with his mamba mentality, was special.