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PHILADELPHIA -- Retiring NBA great Kobe Bryant was a Los Angeles Lakers fan as a kid even though he spent part of his childhood living just outside Philadelphia and his dad played for theSixers.
There was a time though when the NBA great who would become a Philadelphia villain wanted to play for his hometown team.
"Honestly, in high school I always hoped to be a Sixer," Bryant said Tuesday before playing his final NBA game in Philadelphia. "It always a dream of mine playing in Philadelphia."
During his senior year as a national acclaimed prep star at Lower Merion High in 1995-96, Bryant already knew he planned on skipping college to go directly to the NBA.
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The year Bryant declared himself draft eligible, the Sixers had the top pick.
"I was like, 'Philadelphia's struggling, there might be a chance that I play for the Sixers,'" Bryant said.
The Sixers opted to pick Georgetown star Allen Iverson first overall and Bryant wound up being selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets, who immediately traded the 6-foot-6 shooting guard to the Lakers.
"I was hoping at the time, but Iverson was such a force," said Bryant, who announced on Sunday that he plans to retire after the 2015-16 season, his 20th.
The rest is history, as Bryant went to play in 17 All-Star Games and win five NBA titles as a Laker, one of them coming against the Sixers.
"I had to settle for my childhood dream to be a Laker," Bryant said.
Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com Philadelphia Sports on Facebook.
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