NBA insider reveals why Kobe Bryant believed he would end up playing for New York Knicks

Oh, what could’ve been, New York Knicks fans.

Former NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed on Carmelo Anthony’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast that Kobe Bryant believed the Los Angeles Lakers were going to release him and he would end up signing with the Knicks.

“He was convinced he was going to end up with the Knicks. He goes, ‘They’re going to amnesty me and no one’s going to claim me on waivers and I’m going to go sign with the Knicks,’” Wojnarowski said the Hall of Famer told him.

“I said like, ‘They’re not going to amnesty you.’ I said, ‘They’ll burn this city down.’”

Warning Knicks fans: Kobe ALMOST came to New York 💔 pic.twitter.com/L6g0QuZwbe

— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) December 5, 2024

Obviously, that never happened as Kobe Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, but it’s an amazing “what if?” to consider.

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When did Kobe Bryant think he would join New York Knicks?

While it’s not known when Bryant thought the Lakers would release him by using the amnesty clause, Wojnarowski said it was when Jim Buss was president of basketball operations. Buss held that role from 2005 to 2017.

With that information, Bryant most likely thought this would happen between 2013 and 2016. Bryant signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension in November 2013, a season after tearing his Achilles tendon. He would then go on to fracture his left knee in December 2013 and only played in six games that season.

During the 2014-15 year, a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder ended his season after just 35 games.

Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, won five total championships and was named NBA MVP for the 2007-08 season. He was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

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