Jerry West Recalls Kobe Bryant's Desire To Play For The Grizzlies

BYAlexander ColePublished on June 12, 20231358 Views

Celebrities At The Los Angeles Clippers Game

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: Jerry West attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on April 20, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

Kobe in a Grizzlies uniform would have been a wild sight.

Jerry West is one of the biggest legends in the entire history of the NBA. Firstly, he is the league's logo. Overall, that is a huge honor, and it seems like the league has no plans of changing this fact, anytime soon. Moreover, West is someone who has had a ton of success as a builder in the sport. Of course, he helped construct the three-peat Los Angeles Lakers who boasted the talents of Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and many more. Additionally, he is now in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Recently, he got to spend some time with one of his players, Paul George. Overall, this was for George's podcast, Podcast P. During the conversation, Jerry West had an incredible revelation about his time with the Memphis Grizzlies. As it turns out, in 2004, Kobe Bryant expressed his desire to join the Grizzlies. However, despite being the team's GM, West advised against it. Ultimately, he wanted Bryant to play in Los Angeles, as he believed that's where he belonged.

Jerry West Speaks

“He became a free agent. Ok? And he called me and his agent then was Rob Pelinka," Jerry West began. "And so I met them in Orange County in a hotel room and he said he wanted to come to Memphis and play basketball. And I looked at him, I said, are you kidding me? And he said no, and I said, ‘Kobe, no, no. You know, it’s just you belong somewhere out here.’ And even though he would have never played there, I just want to reassure him that don’t feel like you have any obligation with me or the Grizzlies to play here and because he would have never played there, it wasn’t gonna happen.”

Had Kobe Bryant gone to Memphis, it would have completely changed the NBA. However, he stayed in L.A., much to the delight of Lakers fans. If you are a Grizzlies supporter, you must be hating Jerry West right now. However, we doubt the legend actually cares. Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below.

About The Author

Alexander Cole

Alexander Cole is the current Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. During this time, he has shown an expertise in Air Jordans, Yeezys, and all things that have to do with Nike. His favorite kicks are the Air Jordan 1 High OG, the Air Jordan 4, the Air Jordan 6, and the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in the "Beluga 2.0" colorway. Although his collection might not be the biggest, he is always looking to add new styles to it. When it comes to sports, Alex has a particular interest in the NBA and the NFL. His favorite teams are anywhere LeBron goes, and the Kansas City Chiefs. As a Montrealer, the Montreal Canadiens hold a special place in his heart, even if they haven't won the Stanley Cup in his lifetime. Alex also works for the Concordia Stingers, where he provides play-by-play and color commentary for the football, hockey, and basketball teams His favorite hip-hop artists are Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert.