Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is one of the most prominent figures in the NBA and American sports. Recently he shared an intriguing story about how NBA legend Kobe Bryant almost played in his team.
Normally, the media repeats his quotes verbatim, and this Tuesday was no exception as he shared a little-known tale about the Los Angeles Lakers' late great Kobe Bryant.
In an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, the eccentric Cuban recalled the time when he came very close to trading for Kobe Bryant in 2007, as Marca reported. After losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and capitalizing on Bryant's resentment at not winning in Los Angeles, it appeared that the deal was about to be completed.
Mark Cuban noted: "I was going back and forth with Dr. (Jerry) Buss. And I forgot who called who, I think he called me, actually, and said, 'Look, we think we might be parting ways with Kobe.'"
The Mavericks owner claims the chat took place when he was competing on Dancing with the Stars. He also claims that at the time, he thought the deal had been finalized, even going so far as to worry Dirk Nowitzki, who believed he would be involved in the negotiations.
He said that the Kobe Bryant trade "would've been damn good."
“I thought [the Kobe trade] was done.” 👀
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 16, 2022
Mark Cuban gives the back story of how the Mavs were close to trading for the Mamba in the B/R app 🤯
📳 https://t.co/03ruOImHHY pic.twitter.com/Bmx4VCBqGa
"Dirk was like, 'I would've traded me for Kobe,' and I'm like, 'No, I'm not gonna trade you, Dirk, that's the whole point," Cuban remarked.
Who Stopped the Trade?
Cuban claims that this trade never happened because Mitch Kupchak, the general manager of the Lakers at the time, was able to persuade his star player to stay at the last moment. Many believe that if the Mavs were able to acquire Kobe, it would have changed the Black Mamba's legacy, the Mavs' history, and the entire league.
Bryant won two NBA Championships with the Lakers, but the Mavericks ultimately won the NBA title without Kobe.
Success as a team was difficult to come by for the Lakers after O'Neal was dealt to the Miami Heat in 2004 after the Lakers' NBA Finals defeat by the Detroit Pistons, per Fan Nation Dallas Basketball.
The 2004-05 season saw Bryant's Lakers miss the playoffs, and the two seasons after that, they were eliminated in the first round. O'Neal, who played alongside Dwyane Wade, made it to two Eastern Conference Finals and had a successful NBA Finals run (2006).
And The Rest was Great Basketball History
After the team's three lackluster seasons following the trade of O'Neal, Bryant asked the Lakers for a trade in 2007. Dallas Mavericks were an enticing destination for Dirk Nowitzki because they were a consistent threat for playoff positioning and managed to make it to the NBA Finals in 2006.
Kobe decided to stay with the Lakers, which acquired Pau Gasol, and they won consecutive championships (2009 & 2010).
In 2011, the Lakers were attempting to win a third straight championship when Cuban's Mavs swept them in the Western Conference Semifinals. Dallas would go on to shock the LeBron-Wade-Bosh Miami Heat in the NBA Finals that season, as reported by Fan Nation All Lakers.
