UNC Basketball: 10 recruits UNC fans wish the Tar Heels had signed

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform is iconic. Now, imagine him in a North Carolina uniform alongside Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter with Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge and Phil Ford on the sideline.

That’s exactly what it would have been if Bryant wouldn’t have gone straight to the NBA from Lower Merion High School in 1996. According to a 2013 interview with late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, Bryant would have picked North Carolina over Duke if he’d gone to college before beginning his career as a professional basketball player.

Imagine a starting five that included Bryant, Jamison, Carter and sensational point guard Shammond Williams. Then try to imagine that team losing to Arizona in the 1997 Final Four — or anyone, for that matter. The team that went 28-7 and lost in the National Semifinal would have almost undoubtedly run the table in the NCAA Tournament to bring home the program’s second title in five seasons.

Alas, Bryant chose the NBA over college basketball, and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. It’s crazy enough that Bryant fell to pick No. 13 in the draft, but it’s absolutely maddening for Hornets fans to think about their team drafting Bryant only to trade him to the Lakers, where all he did was become one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Among Bryant’s many accomplishments are 5-time NBA champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA first team, 9-time All-NBA Defensive first team, 2-time scoring champion and 2008 league MVP. He scored better than 33,000 points in his career to go along with 7,000 rebounds and 6,300 assists, and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in a couple of years.