"I don't know if I'm going to save L.A., but it would be nice to help" - Kobe Bryant had a message for the Lakers before his first ASG

Kobe Bryant was hardly given attention when he joined the NBA in 1996. Jumping straight out of high school, critics felt it would take time for the 6'6" player to show if he deserved to be in the NBA.

He hardly got that change in his rookie season with the Lakers . He usually came off the bench, relieving players like Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. But behind the scenes, Kobe was putting in the work, aware he had to adapt if he was to succeed and be one of the greatest to ever play the game.

His fortunes would change the following year. Somehow, KB24 gained the admiration of many despite coming off the bench for L.A. Surprisingly, he would be voted into the 1998 All-Star Game as a starter, making him the youngest to start in the annual spectacle.

Jordan wary of Kobe

Bryant played well in his first ASG, scoring 18 points. This was the second-highest scoring output from that game, after Michael Jordan's 23 points for the East.

Jordan would be hailed as the 1998 ASG MVP for his performance. However, 'His Airness' admitted that it was not his intention to bag the award. Rather, he just wanted to make sure that he would not be outplayed by Bryant.

"I didn't come out here to win the MVP, actually," Jordan via Roland Lazenby's book, " Showboat ." "I just wanted to make sure Kobe did not dominate me. The hype was me against him."

Better days ahead for L.A.?

With Kobe showing promise, the next question is whether the Lakers would benefit from it. L.A. had the right players in the mix at the right time, with the best big man of that era, Shaquille O'Neal, on their side. Could Bryant be the missing piece?

Since joining the Lakers, Bean has seen how the team has made it to the playoffs. The only problem was that L.A. had difficulty hurling its Western Conference rivals. If given the chance, Kobe wouldn't mind taking on that responsibility.

"This city has definitely taken some hits…I don't know if I'm going to save L.A., but it would be nice to help. I don't mind the responsibility," a 19-year-old Kobe said at the time via the New York Times .

As a teenager, most felt that Kobe's words were said out of ambition. But lo and behold, Bryant blossomed into the star most never expected, forming a lethal tandem with O'Neal. The result? Kobe helped deliver three NBA titles to the Lakers (2000 to 2002).

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