Everybody knows the controversial story of Kobe Bryant demanding a trade from the Lakers in 2007. The Black Mamba himself confirmed the report and revealed that the Chicago Bulls were his No. 1 choice. Well what if a trade did happen? Not to Chicago but to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Bryant’s late career rival, LeBron James. A new report reveals that this is something that was discussed.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were pitted against each other since the latter’s introduction to the league. Both were constantly compared to Michael Jordan and one or the other played in every NBA Finals from 2007 to 2015, but never against each other.
There is another piece of history the two share, one mostly hidden until now. According to multiple ESPN sources with direct knowledge of the event, the Lakers once contacted the Cavs to investigate whether Cleveland would make James available in a possible Bryant trade.
Those who worked in Cleveland’s front office remember it for one reason, it was the only time a team had ever called and made an offer for James. He was considered an ultimate untouchable. Frankly, until that time, so was Bryant.
“I believe it,” LeBron James told ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin this week about the 2007 offer. “If you give up one big fish, you got to give a big fish too.”
The Cavs said that James, indeed, was untouchable, sources said.
For Bryant, who had a no-trade clause in his contract, the answer was simple.
“I never would’ve approved it. Never. The trade to go to Cleveland? Never,” Kobe Bryant told Holmes. “That wasn’t one of the teams that was on my list. It was Chicago, San Antonio (or) Phoenix.”
