Charlotte Hornets: The Pick That Never Was

The effects of the Kobe trade weren’t just felt in Charlotte or Los Angeles. Several franchises may not even exist without Kobe going to the Lakers.

What about the rest of the NBA? With no team in New Orleans, maybe the Seattle SuperSonics move down there instead of Oklahoma City and become the Pelicans. Though there was a brief period of time where the Hornets had to play in OKC due to Katrina and that may have led to the Sonics eventually moving down there. Needless to say, the Hornets staying in Charlotte could have really affected what happened to the Sonics.

So, what of the Lakers? It’s almost a given that without the Kobe trade, Shaq would have thought twice about signing with the Lakers. At the time, the Los Angeles’ front office was really pushing the mystique of the Lakers.

There is plenty of that to be sure, but Kobe was almost entirely the linchpin that helped seal that deal. Without Kobe, maybe Shaq takes less money to stay with Anfernee Hardaway and the Orlando Magic to help take over the East after Jordan left.

Divac staying with the Lakers meant he would never end up on the Sacramento Kings. Those classic Kings-Lakers playoff matchups would never have happened.

Looking back through the years, it’s easy to see the ripples that this trade created and how it’s still affecting the league to this day.

Next: Four Biggest Offseason Concerns

Of course, this is all very much conjecture and speculation. All these events are one part wishful thinking and one part disappointment. It really would have been nice to see Charlotte get a generational star like Kobe. Even if you don’t personally care for Kobe, you have to respect what he did on the court. However you feel, there’s not doubt that trade is easily one of the biggest in recent memory.