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Duke Basketball: What if Kobe Bryant went to Duke?

By Kevin Connelly

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the fourth quarter while taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the fourth quarter while taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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It’s not often that Duke Basketball misses out on big time recruits, but before players had to go to college for at least one season, the Blue Devils had their sights on one of the biggest starts in basketball.

Kobe Bryant was one of the best basketball players of this generation and as he celebrates his 40th birthday and ‘Kobe Day’ on August, 24 (8/24), we look back on what could have been if the five time NBA Champion had played at Duke instead of going from Lower Merion High School to the NBA.

To the surprise of no one, Kobe Bryant was a star in high school, however, like many high school prospects, he had a major decision to make.

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Just this one was a little different than what players have to decide now.

Bryant had the option of going to the NBA or playing college basketball for either Duke, North Carolina, Michigan, or Villanova. Despite four teams recruiting him, it was a battle between Duke and North Carolina for Bryant’s services.

However, North Carolina and Head Coach Dean Smith took themselves out of the Bryant sweepstakes, assuming he would declare for the NBA Draft, before he made the official decision, as Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski continued to try and persuade Bryant to Durham.

So basically, it was Duke or the NBA for Kobe Bryant and, well, we know how that turned out for him.

You might be thinking, how do we know this? Well, Bryant revealed this while answering questions from fans on his Twitter in 2017.

Had Bryant enrolled in Duke, he would have been on the 1996-97 Duke Basketball team that fell in the 2nd Round to the Providence Friars and in 1997-98 the Blue Devils advanced all the way to the Elite Eight, but with Bryant on the team it’s likely that the outcome of both of those seasons would have been different.

Bryant would have been joining a freshman class including current Duke Basketball Associate Head Coach Nate James, current Assistant Coach Chris Carrawell, and Mike Chappell.

The Blue Devils were led that season by Trajan Langdon and former Duke Associate Head Coach and current Head Coach of the University of Pittsburgh, Jeff Capel.

However, out of high school Bryant was the No. 13 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets, who then traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the rest is history.

While Kobe Bryant definitely made the right decision going to the NBA straight from high school, it’s fun to think back and see what could have been for Duke Basketball in those season.

Related Story. Jayson Tatum Works Out with Kobe Bryant. light

Now we must wait and see if there will be a rule change allowing high school basketball players to declare for the NBA once again as they have not allowed to since 2005.

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