Australia's Dante Exum plans to seek out Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant for advice. Exum, a projected top-five pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA draft, also said he wants to be drafted by a team needing a starting point guard.
Exum, 18, is similar to Bryant in that they both chose to forego playing college basketball for a chance to play in the pros. Bryant skipped college and declared for the 1996 draft graduating from high school, and the chance to pick Bryant's mind about transitioning from high school to the NBA is important to Exum - important enough that Exum signed with Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka.
"A reason why I signed with the agent I'm with is he has Kobe Bryant, and he's been through this when he came into the NBA," Exum recently told the Canberra Times. "I guess having him as a mentor who can guide me through what he did and how he became successful is something which is pretty good. I haven't chatted to him yet, but the agent said Kobe knows who I am and he said he'd definitely have a chat to me."
The Australia native declared for the 2014 draft last week. He cited concerns about adapting to the college style of play and potentially injuring himself as the reasons for his decision to skip college, according to The Times.
Exum's speed, size (6-foot-6) and athleticism has NBA scouts excited about him. Although only 18 years old, he wants to be selected by a team that will immediately put him in the starting five.
"I want to go to a place that needs me, I don't want to go somewhere like the [LA] Clippers who have Chris Paul and be stuck behind him," said Exum. "I want to go to a team which is going to want and need me, and hopefully get minutes in my first season."
With the Lakers expected to be a high-lottery pick team, there's a possibility Exum could not only receive advice from Bryant but also soon be playing beside him.
