Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He was selected by Charlotte Hornets and was immediately traded to Los Angeles Lakers and rest is history which all of you know. One of the other stories concerning the draft was that when Kobe was drafted, he was not 18 years old. The rules for eligibility to an NBA draft were different during those times than those are today.

Kobe's parents had to co-sign his NBA contract on his behalf until he turned 18 later that year.