Tonight, for the final time in Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant will travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers and their star, LeBron James.
As the final matchup of the two superstars is set to happen in Cleveland, there now comes a time to reflect on the ‘what-ifs’ involving the two stars.
Since LeBron James was drafted in 2003, the NBA world was always dreaming of a LeBron-Kobe NBA Finals matchup. That duel between the two stars in the NBA Finals never happened and the world has will miss out it despite at least one of the two being in every NBA Finals since 2007.
Another ‘what-if’ is the recent news that the two superstars were almost traded for each other.
Following from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
There is another piece of history the two share, one mostly hidden until now. 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.
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.
Even in 2003, when the Cavs won the draft lottery, the team’s front office figured it would get a “Godfather” offer or two to give up the No. 1 pick they planned to use on James. But the phone never rang.
“I believe it,” James told ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin this week about the 2007 offer. “If you give up one big fish, you got to give a big fish too.”
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.”
