Vlade Divac Says the Lakers Trading Him for Kobe Was a 'No Brainer'

In 1996, Vlade Divac averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks as the starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 53 games.

During the draft that year, he was traded for a high school kid.

Granted, the high school kid was Kobe Bryant, but the preps-to-pros thing was still a novelty in 1996. It helped that Kevin Garnett had successfully done it the year before, but as one scout told Sports Illustrated, “He’s no Kevin Garnett.”

Divac ain’t mad, though. As he explained to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes:

"I didn’t like it in the beginning, but later on, if I was in Jerry West’s shoes, I would do the same thing. I would trade myself for Kobe, no-brainer."

Divac is now the General Manager of the Kings, so this isn’t bar-stool chatter. These are the decisions he makes every day. Divac and Bryant met after last night’s Kings – Lakers game and shared a couple moments. Via NBA.com and ESPN:

“He gave me a Charlotte Hornets jersey. No. 8. It’s awesome,” said Bryant, who was later teammates with Divac. “He has a great sense of humor and is a real practical joker. It goes well with my sarcasm.”

What a fun pair.