Warner Bros. is developing a feature film that dramatizes the moment that catapulted Kobe Bryant into NBA legend. Titled With the 8th Pick, the project is being scripted by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen and will delve into the behind-the-scenes negotiations, pressures, and near-misses surrounding the 1996 NBA Draft—a turning point that would alter basketball history forever.
Billed as “Moneyball meets the NBA,” the film seeks to capture not only the tension of front-office politics but also the myth-making that surrounds one of the game’s most enduring icons. And the timing is no coincidence. Hollywood has recently doubled down on the real-life grit of sports legends, from underdog triumphs to dynastic sagas. Few stories, however, carry the weight, drama, and mystique of Kobe’s.
With the 8th Pick: Not Your Typical Sports Biopic
At first glance, a movie about Kobe Bryant might feel like familiar ground. After all, his story is the stuff of legend: high school phenom, five-time NBA champion, MVP, and global icon. Yet With the 8th Pick takes a refreshingly different approach. Instead of tracing Kobe Bryant’s entire life and career, the film zeroes in on the drama leading up to the 1996 NBA Draft, where he was nearly chosen by the New Jersey Nets with the eighth overall pick—before fate, and the Los Angeles Lakers, intervened.
What sets this project apart is its lens. With the 8th Pick isn’t told primarily through Kobe’s eyes but rather through the executives, coaches, agents, and sneaker companies who wrestled with whether to take a gamble on a wiry 17-year-old from Lower Merion High School. This decision to center the narrative on the Nets’ front office immediately distinguishes it from the traditional biopic.
By peeling back the bureaucratic, emotional, and financial layers of those behind-the-scenes debates, the film aims to offer more than a sports story. It raises timeless questions: What does it mean to bet on potential before the world recognizes it? And what does it reveal about those who see greatness in the making versus those who let it slip away?
The Draft That Almost Changed Everything
To fully grasp the weight of this story, one has to rewind to the tense, chaotic weeks leading up to the 1996 NBA Draft. Among the teams circling the teenage sensation, the New Jersey Nets stood front and center. General Manager John Nash and newly hired head coach John Calipari appeared locked in on using their 8th overall pick on the 17-year-old phenom straight out of Lower Merion High School.
Bryant had dazzled in pre-draft workouts, commanding attention not just with his skill but also with an unmistakable presence. His upside was undeniable. Yet, as draft day drew near, cracks began to appear. Bryant’s camp, led by powerhouse agent Arn Tellem and strongly influenced by his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, had other ideas. Determined to secure a big-market landing spot, preferably Los Angeles, they began quietly maneuvering to steer Kobe away from New Jersey.
Whispers soon turned into full-blown rumors: if drafted by the Nets, Bryant might simply refuse to play. That uncertainty became too great a risk for a franchise desperate to avoid a costly misstep. Under mounting pressure, the Nets passed. What followed was one of the most consequential sliding-door moments in basketball history.
Instead, the Charlotte Hornets took Bryant with the 13th pick—only to immediately trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran center Vlade Divac. The deal, orchestrated behind the scenes by Lakers GM Jerry West, would alter the course of NBA history.
“Looking back, I regret not taking him,” Calipari admitted years later. “We just didn’t know how good he’d be, and we didn’t want to miss with that pick.”
Black Mamba Ascending: From Prodigy to Icon
Following the draft-day drama, Kobe Bryant would carve out a career that became nothing short of legendary. With the Lakers, he secured five NBA championships, earned 18 All-Star selections, claimed two Finals MVPs, and was crowned league MVP in 2008.
His career was punctuated by milestones that read like folklore. The 81-point eruption against the Raptors in 2006, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, a golden Olympic run with Team USA, and his unforgettable 60-point farewell at Staples Center in 2016.
Guided by Phil Jackson’s philosophy and tested in his sometimes-turbulent partnership with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe evolved into both the face of a dynasty and, later, its solitary torchbearer. His relentless drive, immortalized as the “Mamba Mentality,” transcended basketball, inspiring athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs across the globe.
Yet, beyond the staggering numbers and accolades, it was Kobe’s narrative arc—prodigy, rival, champion, sage—that etched him into cultural memory. Each season unfolded like a new chapter in an epic saga. It is this mythology, and the drama of its beginning, that With the 8th Pick now seeks to capture on screen.
Dear Storytelling: Kobe’s Second Act as a Creator
After retirement, Bryant pivoted seamlessly into storytelling. In 2018, he won an Academy Award for his animated short Dear Basketball, adapted from the farewell poem he wrote when he hung up his sneakers. The victory was historic. It made him the first former professional athlete ever to win an Oscar.
Soon after, he launched Granity Studios, a multimedia company devoted to inspiring young athletes through original stories. With books, podcasts, and films, Kobe sought to demystify greatness and show sport as a universal metaphor. “Sports is the greatest metaphor we have for life,” he once said. “It teaches you things, like resilience, humility, teamwork—all the stuff you need to navigate the world.”
In this light, With the 8th Pick feels less like a departure and more like a continuation. It is not just a film about Kobe Bryant’s rise. It is a tribute to his belief in the power of story and its ability to leave an impact long after the final buzzer.
Powerhouse Producers and Authentic Storytelling of Kobe Bryant in With the 8th Pick Film
Backing the film is a seasoned team with serious credentials. Tim and Trevor White—best known for producing King Richard—are on board through their banner, Star Thrower Entertainment. Joining them is Gotham Chopra, the filmmaker and storyteller behind Religion of Sports and director of Kobe Bryant’s Muse, one of the most intimate documentaries ever made about the basketball icon.
Rounding out the team is producer Ryan Stowell. Together, they bring a rare blend of sports insight and cinematic expertise. This depth of experience matters. After all, the film is not only tasked with dramatizing history but also with portraying real people and real moments that shaped the modern NBA. In the hands of this team, the story feels poised to strike the balance between authenticity and drama.
From “Air” to “King Richard”: Sports Biopics Are Booming
The upcoming Kobe Bryant film enters a growing wave of prestige sports stories. In recent years, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Air—chronicling Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan—earned critical acclaim. King Richard, spotlighting Venus and Serena Williams’ upbringing under their father’s guidance, scored six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Audiences have also flocked to sports docuseries. ESPN’s The Last Dance and HBO’s Winning Time proved the appetite for behind-the-scenes access to legends. At the same time, narrative films are digging deeper into the psychology, business, and cultural weight of athletic greatness.
What sets With the 8th Pick apart, however, is its collision of legacy and origin. It zeroes in on the split-second decision-making that shaped not just a career, but the very culture of the NBA.
Early Buzz and Casting Speculation
The film remains in its early stages. No director or lead actors have been confirmed, though speculation is already swirling over who might bring these pivotal figures to life—from the calculating General Manager to the fearless, teenage Kobe.
Fan chatter has floated names like Michael B. Jordan—not necessarily to play Kobe, but perhaps as a narrator or executive presence. Others argue that fresh, undiscovered talent should embody young Kobe, capturing the raw authenticity of a teenager on the brink of greatness.
As the project inches closer to production, both fans and critics will be watching closely. If the finished film delivers on its promise, With the 8th Pick could stand as one of the most compelling sports dramas of its era. Indeed, it’s a story not just of a draft day gamble, but of destiny.
Featured image: Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images
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