Twelve teams infamously passed on Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft. One of them was the Philadelphia 76ers, Bryant’s hometown squad, which had the top overall pick.
Heading to the draft, several camps told the Sixers that Kobe was the real deal. And although they had their sights set on picking Georgetown’s Allen Iverson , they proceeded with working out the future Black Mamba.
” He did shooting drills and other stuff, had a great workout ,” former Sixers GM Brad Greenberg said . ” I just thought Iverson was a better selection at the time. I wasn’t comfortable going with a High school kid for the No. 1 pick vs. Iverson .”
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Bryant was the 1996 High School Player of the Year after leading Lower Merion to its first state title in 53 years. As a senior, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 3.8 blocks. But for all of Kobe’s dominance, Iverson was still the consensus top pick of the 1996 Draft. I
In his two college seasons, A.I. led Georgetown to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. AI was back-to-back Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 1995-96 and a first-team All-American in 1996.