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February 10, 2016Where the Browns stand: Offensive Line
February 10, 2016It never came that close to fruition, but the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers did talk about a LeBron James-Kobe Bryant trade during the summer of 2007. James and the Cavs had just come off of a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, while Kobe and the Lakers had completed a disappointing 42-40 season despite Bryant averaging nearly 32 points per game. (These were the days when Smush Parker was a regular Lakers starter.) Kobe was 28 years old then and perhaps the best player in the league, while LeBron was 22 and on his way to holding that same title.
[See Also — What Never Was: LeBron vs. Kobe in the NBA Finals]
Word of the rumored trade came out this week when Kobe discussed it with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote about the whole thing at greater length. Here’s the long and short of it:
According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the event, the Lakers once contacted the Cavs to investigate whether Cleveland would make James available in a possible Bryant trade.
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Bryant was under contract for two more seasons, but was frustrated with the Lakers after three consecutive subpar seasons following the Shaquille O’Neal trade.
“At that time, the Lakers had to do something. I was just losing faith in what they were trying to do. It was like I was a meal ticket,” Bryant told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes this week. “You come out and score 40, 50 points, fill the seats, we’re going to keep the payroll at a minimum, generate revenue. It’s like, look, listen, I am not with that, dude. I have to win without Shaq. I’ve got to do it. We’ve got to do something.”
Bryant famously agitated for change, and as the rhetoric reached a fever pitch in the media, for a period some kind of blockbuster trade seemed almost likely.
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According to multiple sources, as the Lakers went through their options, a call was placed to the Cavs. The intent of the call, sources said, was clear: Would the Cavs make James available in a potential deal for Bryant?
Those who worked in Cleveland’s front office remember it for one reason, it was the only time a team had ever called and made an offer for James. He was considered an ultimate untouchable. Frankly, until that time, so was Bryant.
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The Cavs said that James, indeed, was untouchable, sources said. Then they attempted to make the Lakers a different offer for Bryant, offering anyone else on their team in a package for him. The Lakers had no interest.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak declined comment on the matter this week.
For Bryant, who had a no-trade clause in his contract, the answer was simple.
“I never would’ve approved it. Never. The trade to go to Cleveland? Never,” Bryant told Holmes. “That wasn’t one of the teams that was on my list. It was Chicago, San Antonio (or) Phoenix.”
It’s a fun what-if more than anything, and it will surely be discussed in advance of Kobe’s final game at Quicken Loans Arena Wednesday night. Bryant is questionable with a shoulder injury. If he can’t go in Cleveland, the final Bryant-James matchup will take place in Los Angeles on March 10.
James owns a 14-6 advantage in head-to-head games against Bryant, including the former’s time in both Cleveland and Miami. LeBron has averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in those matchups, while Bryant has averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
7 Comments
Ugh. Thank God this didn’t happen. Yes, The Decision was an awful thing, but this would have been The Trade and I’d bet he wouldn’t have come back.
“The Cavs said that James, indeed, was untouchable, sources said. Then they attempted to make the Lakers a different offer for Bryant, offering anyone else on their team in a package for him. The Lakers had no interest.”
“I never would’ve approved it. Never. The trade to go to Cleveland? Never,”
So, this was never actually close to happening in any way.
It never came that close to fruition
literally, the first line of this headline 🙂
Right, I’m not being critical of Will, though the headline is wrong, there was never really talking of a swap of the two, but of Windhorst. He even admits in his article that this never actually was a story, but he still ran with it. Must be an incredibly slow news day.
He just didn’t want to do the leg work Clayman did for his LeBron / Kobe history piece yesterday 🙂
Windhorst strikes again. But at least he’s not Broussard!
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