Netflix
Warner Bros. picked up a spec that focused on the high stakes pass that bought a potential Kobe Bryant film and brought teenage Phenom to the Los Angeles Lakers. The tentative title, entitled “The Eighth Pick,” was written by Alex Thorne and Gavin Johansen (Rescue Series), in a 1996 draft day manipulation, setting two franchises on very different trajectories.
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Warner moved early amid interest from multiple buyers and removed the script from the table prior to the auction. Produced by Star Slower Entertainment and Sports religion, the director has not yet been obsessed with it, and for now the studio remains silent. Variety confirmed the deal. The first scoop came via Insneider.
Inside the 1996 draft
That struggle nods to the beat of the real sliding door: the New Jersey net held pick No. 8 and drafted Bryant straight from Lower Merion High School. GM John Nash at the time said he wanted to draft, but manager John Calipari rejected it. Bryant came in 13th place for the Charlotte Hornets and was traded for the Lakers and Vlade Divac. War Room Jitter, Back Channel Call, the second speculation of this film is ready for formation.
Focus and tone
Trade Chatter frames this as a piece of the process. Think of the brains of Moneyball systems, as well as the brink of touch of the meeting room, in addition to the pulsating air that makes contracts. The Hollywood reporter also keeps the lens firmly in 1996, pointing to the net’s point of view, rather than playing Bryant’s biggest hit. Some conversations, some signatures – and the next 20 years of the league look very different.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, collecting five championships (including three peats in the early 2000s alongside Shaquille O’Neal under coach Phil Jackson), an 18 All-Star Selection, and 2007-08 MVP before retiring in 2016. basketball. Framing the film around 1996 gives the story a tight lens on how these draft room selections can help define the legacy that follows.
