‘Wore Clippers Colors’: Lakers’ President Jeanie Buss Reveals the Time When Kobe Bryant Was Ready to Leave

To most people, it would sound hoax to learn that Kobe Bryant was considering leaving the Lakers. The Black Mamba, when not in Golden and Purple, sported White and Dark Blue only when playing for Team USA. So it’s hard to believe he would’ve ever considered wearing any other jersey.

However, the talk was real and the Lakers’ franchise face was on the brink of signing with the Clippers. Just imagine, one of the greatest Lakers ever joining the franchise’s biggest rival in the space. 

Lakers president confirmed the possibilities

The team owner of the 73-YO franchise, Jeanie Buss, recently joined an interview where she agreed to the rumor. She was talking to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson when the 59-YO president revealed her side of the tale.

Jeanie expressed, “I never had that conversation with Kobe, but there was a game where he wore Clippers colors. Not even the jersey, he wore the colors, like very subtle. I could see that he loves challenges. That would have been a huge thing, right. I think that was something very possible.”

Back in 2007, the Lake Show had disappointed the Black Mamba with back-to-back postseason failures. The roster has some journeymen on it and Kobe was missing out on a helping hand like Shaquille O’Neal. So yes, the chances of him going towards the Clippers to bring greatness there were real.

Read also – “Got on My F**king Nerves”: Kobe Bryant’s Former Teammate Recalls Dealing with an Angry Phil Jackson

When an emotional Jerry West revealed the same about the Black Mamba

Former Laker, Coby Karl, had only recently detailed how he also thought that Kobe Bryant wanted out of the Lakers. However, an interview appearance of a sobbing Jerry West had earlier surprised the world with the same narrative. 

Just a couple of days after the Black Mamba lost his life in an unfortunate accident, Jerry West gave an interview at NBA on TNT. With tears in his eyes, the legendary player exclaimed, “He was going to leave the Lakers. I’ve never really mentioned this to anyone. He was going to come and sign with the Clippers, who I’m now involved with as a consultant. I told him, ‘Kobe under no circumstances can you do this.’ He was mad at everyone at the lakers, the owner, and everyone else. I said, ‘Kobe you can’t go play with the Clippers. You can’t play for that owner period.’ We had two conversations about it. He supposedly made a commitment to the Clippers.”

Fortunately, the Lakers front office made the best move possible by trading for Pau Gasol in the middle of the 2007-08 season. Although the duo lost their battle against the Celtics in 2008, it gave Kobe hope he can win with the newly established roster. That’s exactly what followed after Kobe’s schooling of Pau Gasol and them seeking revenge in 2010.

KB, you made us all proud.

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