Rockets dealt a setback in hopes of drafting Chinese star

What's to prevent China from saying you can't have him? Also, what if China decides not to enter Ming in the draft? Can he be a rookie FA and sign with the Bulls/Knicks?

 

Originally posted by Oski2005
I didn't pay much attention to Basketball back then so I've been searching for an article that says that. So far, I have found nothing. I would appreciate it if somebody could show me an article or evidence that Kobe really did that.

I searched Lexis-Nexis, which is only fair as far as sport news goes, and came up with this hint from a John Brennan column in The (Bergen County, NJ) Record: "Kobe Bryant may become a superstar in Los Angeles, but the Nets didn't need another project, especially one who dropped hints that he would refuse to come to New Jersey." Brennan also wrote, in a 1997 article:

<i>How close did [Bryant] come to being drafted by the Nets, to leading a life that top Nets pick Kerry Kittles has explained to him as depressing for far more reasons than having to bundle up against the cold all winter?

Nets coach and director of basketball operations John Calipari [...] put it this way:"If the Clippers had taken Kerry Kittles at No. 7, Kobe Bryant would be in New Jersey today."

That's in spite of the fact that both Calipari and Bryant previously have confirmed that Calipari knew on the day of the draft that Bryant did not want to play for a rebuilding team such as the Nets. You'd never know that from the way the 18-year-old Bryant spoke about Calipari on Saturday.

"I'd love to play for coach Calipari, and you can quote me,"said Bryant, 18, following the Lakers practice at Loyola Marymount University. [...] </i>

(emphasis mine)

I also found an article where John Nash refutes the story, or at least gives a totally different rationale that makes no mention of the conspiracy:

The Next Jordan Slipped By Nets

By Adrian Wojnarowski

The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
January 28, 1998

The Lower Merion High School ticket takers refused to honor NBA scouting passes for sellouts, so there was John Nash, then the general manager of the Washington Bullets, climbing the wooden bleachers more than two hours early for 7:30 p.m. games, willing to wait through junior varsity basketball and 50-50 raffles to assure himself a seat to watch Kobe Bryant. Always, Nash searched for the deepest corner of the gymnasium, out of sight, where he marveled over the kid nobody could get their eyes off.

"It was uncomfortable,"Nash says."I never wanted to contribute to the controversy over whether he should skip college for the pros. But I had to be there. I had to formulate an opinion, but it was easy to do that. Kobe was something so special." Months later, on the eve of the 1996 NBA draft, Nets vice president and coach John Calipari, along with his newly hired general manager, Nash, were eating dinner with Joe and Pam Bryant at the Secaucus Radisson Hotel. The Nets had the eighth pick. Fresh out of college coaching, it was Calipari's call. New Jersey had a clear shot to draft Kobe Bryant, and they were deep in discussions with the prodigy's parents over the prospects of it.

"I told John, Frankly, you'll never be in a better position to draft him. You just signed a five-year deal, you've got plenty of security, and if anything, drafting Bryant would give the public the understanding that we weren't going for an overnight success." Nash said.

When Calipari awoke on draft day, he was unsure of his decision. Kerry Kittles or Kobe Bryant? College graduate or high school kid? Sure thing, or sure gamble? Calipari and Nash talked it over until an hour prior to the draft.

"In the final analysis," Nash said, "Kerry Kittles appeared to be the surer bet. It wasn't the basketball. The question was: Is Bryant more susceptible to the trappings of the NBA than someone with four years of college? The thing is, Kobe might be more mature than some 35-year-olds." [...]

The Shoe Connection

In a December 16, 1997, USA Today article, Richard Weiner wrote: "Last year, [agent Arn] Tellem successfully challenged the NBA draft by maneuvering Bryant to Los Angeles. [...] Meanwhile, Tellem's close relationship with sneaker guru Sonny Vaccaro continues to raise eyebrows because a handful of Tellem clients, such as Bryant and Tracy McGrady, seemingly came straight from Vaccaro's high school all-star camps." [...] (emphasis mine)

Make of that what you will, but it sounds like if there's a conspiracy here, it was to get Kobe to the market where they could sell the most shoes.