Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant Thought He Would Leave LA For East Rival: Report

The 18-time All-Star thought he would wind up elsewhere eventually.

Mar 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) claps as he exits the court after the game against the New York Knicks at Staples Center. The New York Knicks won 90-87. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images / Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images

Although he did spend all 20 of his NBA seasons in L.A., 18-time Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant was apparently confident he would wind up elsewhere before calling it a career.

During a new episode of former 10-time All-Star combo forward Carmelo Anthony's podcast "7PM In Brooklyn With Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero," Wojnarowski revealed just how close Bryant got to heading to New York.

"It's funny, Kobe always thought — he was convinced — he was gonna end up with the Knicks," Wojnarowski revealed.

"This is real s---," Anthony responded.

The Hall of Fame superstar swingman was selected straight out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 13 pick, and saw his rights traded to Los Angeles in the 1996 NBA Draft. Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal had inked a $120 million free agent deal to ditch the Orlando Magic for the Lakers that same summer, and they joined a core that at the time also included eventual All-Star point guard Nick Van Exel and eventual All-Star small forward Eddie Jones to help ring in a new era of contention for Los Angeles.

With Van Exel and Jones long gone, Los Angeles went on to win three consecutive titles from 2000-02, and appear in another NBA Finals in 2004.

Alongside another Hall of Fame big man, finesse-oriented power forward/center Pau Gasol, Bryant appeared in three more straight NBA Finals from 2008-10, winning twice.

By the end of his career, however, the 6-foot-6 wing was running on fumes. A 2013 Achilles tendon tear ended his All-NBA prime, but he inked a final, generous contract with L.A. — the deal was so generous, in fact, that Bryant apparently assumed it would be amnestied before it was done, giving him the ability to sign anywhere if he wasn't claimed off waivers.

"He goes, 'They're gonna amnesty me and no one's gonna claim me on waivers, and I'm gonna go sign with the Knicks," Wojnarowski continued. "I said, 'They're not gonna amnesty you.' I said, 'They'll burn this city down.' He loved the Lakers. And he only ever really wanted to be there. He would fantasize about the Garden."

Anthony verified this.

"That's all he talked about," Anthony said.

"He loved this guy," Wojnarowski continued, indicating Anthony. "I remember standing with him at the Staples Center. I would always talk to him kind of on the way to his car. He was defending you. He was like, 'I told Melo, "Stop apologizing. Play the way you play. Stop apologizing."'"

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