"I'll go to New York and play for Phil" - Inside the Kobe Bryant-Lakers drama that almost pushed him to go play for the Knicks

Toward the end of his NBA career, Kobe Bryant had a hunch that the Los Angeles Lakers were about to let him go.

A report by ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reveals that at one point, Bryant felt that then Lakers president Jim Buss wanted to amnesty the remaining money and years on his contract and force him out of the organization.

Chasing the sixth

Woj claimed that Kobe had no real evidence to support his claims. He just had a strong gut feeling that the Lakers were done with him and were looking to the future.

But Bryant was not yet looking to hang up his jersey and sneakers for good. With five rings on his resume, he was one short of tying Michael Jordan — his idol and benchmark for success. In case the Lakers did push him out, the Mamba had a backup plan.

"I'll go to New York and play for Phil [Jackson]," Kobe said .

The Zen Master retired from coaching in 2011 amid health concerns and after being swept by the Dallas Mavericks, the eventual NBA Champions.

In 2014, Jackson resurfaced, this time as the president of the New York Knicks — a move that many expected would finally turn things around for the struggling franchise.

Related: "He blocked every shot" - Larry Brown on how a 43-year-old Wilt Chamberlain humbled Magic Johnson

That's not the triangle

Phil named his trusty point guard Derek Fisher as head coach and asked him to run the dreaded triangle offense. Again, it excited the Knicks' passionate fan base and the rest of the league.

But when the Knicks' losses started piling up, Jackson's stock as the team's messiah plunged. Even Dennis Rodman slammed the Zen Master and Fisher's failed tactics.

"They're not running the triangle. Derek Fisher's not really coaching. I know Phil is trying to throw his input in the background, but who expected this from Phil? They expected him, we're going to give you $15 million a year for the next six years, and this team is -- wow -- they might not even make the playoffs," Rodman said , per ESPN.

Would Bryant's presence alter the Knicks' course? Would the Mamba have guided Fisher in running the triangle? It's a big what if. Even in the imagination, Kobe winning a championship wearing a Knicks jersey looks awkward.

Woj told Kobe that the Mamba leaving for New York would cause riots in Los Angeles. Fortunately, Bryant remained with the Lakers for the last years of his career. The sixth ring is just a trivial matter compared to Kobe's impact and loyalty to the Purple and Gold.

Related: Magic Johnson thinks Kobe would have been in GOAT talks if he was here today: “We know Kobe belonged in that conversation”