We Remember: 18th Anniversary of Kobe Bryant's NBA Debut
On Nov. 3, 1996, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Charlotte Hornets drafted Bryant with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft but traded him to Los Angeles less than a week after drafting him. That move turned out to have a lasting impact on the Lakers organization.
However, that night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 18-year-old Bryant didn't have much of an impact on the game. He went 0-of-1 from the floor but did record one rebound and one block in six minutes of play.
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The Lakers didn't get much from the man who would one day become known as the Black Mamba, but they were able to pull out a 91-85 victory in Bryant's NBA debut.
Although his professional debut was nothing special, Bryant did go on to make the NBA All-Rookie second team. He averaged 7.6 points, 1.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign.
Here's a highlight reel of the Black Mamba's rookie season:
