Lakers Legend Reveals First Impression of Kobe Bryant as Jerry Buss Instantly Recognised his Superstar Potential

The late Kobe Bryant left a lasting impression during his pre-draft workout with the LA Lakers back in 1996. On Tuesday, former Lakers star Michael Cooper was interviewed by DJ Vlad. Cooper told the story of his first impression of Bryant and how it led Jerry West to pick him.

In1996. Cooper had already been retired from the NBA for a while. But he was still involved with the team as a special assistant to West, who was the general manager. The five-time champion helped scout Bryant and was even impressed with how developed the young star's body was.

"The first thing I was impressed with was his height, to be that young," Cooper said. "Usually, you don't see kids [with that height] and a nice little built on him.

The Hall of Famer gave him a serious workout. But they saw how competitive Bryant was without even exerting any effort.

"I remember after that workout, and it was a workout, I was drenched. I remember going over to Jerry [West], and they go, 'Coop, what you think?' I said, 'Man, he's pretty good.' He's stronger than I thought, too.

After the tough workout that Cooper gave the youngster, West told the rest that Bryant is their pick.

"We all look a Jerry and he goes, 'He's the one.' Just by the way he was moving on the court."

The franchise drafted Kobe Bryant with their 13th pick. It turned out to be the best move for the Lakers. Bryant developed into a superstar and helped the franchise win five NBA championships.

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Jerry West revealed how long Cooper's game was against Kobe Bryant

Cooper had to do the hard work when the Lakers scouted Kobe Bryant. The two had a one-on-one battle, which left a strong impression on those who witnessed it. West clarified the air about how long the two played against each other on the court.

According to him, the rumors about Cooper and Bryant playing for two minutes weren't accurate. Instead, it took them 10 minutes to play each other.

"It wasn't two minutes, OK," West said. "It was probably 10 minutes."

"Michael and Kobe were playing one-on-one and it was not much of a contest," he continued. "It wasn't much of a challenge for Kobe. I said, 'To hell with this. I've seen enough.'"

Kobe Bryant's ability to compete with a former NBA player impressed West. The Logo also said that the Black Mamba was the only player who left a memorable mark on everyone they invited for pre-draft workouts.