Kobe wanted to be drafted by his hometown 76ers: "I was hoping that, but at that time Iverson was such a force"

Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers , but before the Black Mamba became a Laker for life, he was a high school star who wanted to play for his hometown NBA team.

Although he was born in Philadelphia and grew up overseas, Bryant returned to play high school basketball at Lower Merion High School in the suburbs of Philly.

"When I was in high school, I hoped to be a Sixer," revealed Kobe. "I was always hoping that. But at the time, Iverson was such a force ... but it was always a dream of mine to play in Philadelphia."

KB was spectacular in HS, but A.I. was equally impressive at Georgetown

In his final three seasons at Lower Merion High, the Aces posted a 77-13 record. As a junior, Bryant was the Pennsylvania Player of the Year, and he finished his term by leading the Aces to their first state title in over 50 years. Kobe also concluded his high school career as Southern Pennsylvania's all-time scoring leader, overtaking Wilt Chamberlain.

However, Allen Iverson was equally impressive in the college ranks. The diminutive guard played two seasons at Georgetown and was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in his two years with the Hoyas. A.I. finished his collegiate career as Georgetown's all-time scoring average leader at 22.9 PPG. A consensus first-team All-American in 1996, Iverson was heavily favored as the Top pick, while Kobe wasn't on many teams' radars.

"But once that didn't happen, my childhood ambitions of being a Los Angeles Laker was actual reality -- this can actually happen," added Bryant. "Once I became a Laker, I was never going to look back. But in high school, I was like, 'Philadelphia is struggling. There's a chance I could play for the Sixers.' But it never happened, so I had to settle for my childhood dream, which was to be a Laker."

Related: The Lakers' team bus would always leave Kobe Bryant behind because he waited to talk to MJ after every game: "We were always one head short with Kobe"

Young Kobe grew up supporting the Purple and Gold

Growing up, Bryant was a huge Lakers fan , idolizing the likes of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Magic Johnson. At the 1996 NBA Draft, West arranged a deal with the Charlotte Hornets that sent Bean to the Lakers to team up with the newly transferred Shaquille O'Neal.

Kobe and Shaq led the Lakers to three straight titles from 2000-02, including a 2001 showdown against the Sixers and Iverson, who won MVP honors that year. Before the Finals, a vindictive Bryant told 76ers fans that he would ' cut their hearts out .'

He averaged 24.6 points, including 26 during the title-clinching Game 5 in Philly's Wells Fargo Center. The Black Mamba was 18-14 in his career against the Sixers and was an even more impressive 24-14 against Iverson.

Looking back, the 76ers would have picked Allen over and over again in as many redrafts as you want to do. That year, they needed a point guard, and A.I. proved to be more than just a great playmaker. He was the cultural icon of that era. Kobe, however, turned out to be one of the best of all time.

Related: When Kobe Bryant gave the ultimate respect to Allen Iverson: "I don't think people nowadays realize how great you were as a player"