On July 11, 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Kobe Bryant, who at 17 years of age was selected by the Hornets with the 13th pick in the Draft, in a trade that sent Vlade Divac to Charlotte. In February 2026, almost 40 years later, the Lakers have signed another Kobe. The Los Angeles Lakers have officially signed Kobe Bufkin to a two-year contract after he starred with the South Bay Lakers in the G-League
With the South Bay Lakers, he averaged 27.7 points (52.2% shooting from the field and 43.1% from three-point range), 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 35.3 minutes, scoring at least 20 points in 15 games this season, including five 30-point performances and three games with 40 or more points.
Who is Kobe Bufkin, the new Kobe of the Lakers?
Kobe Bufkin is a 22-year-old, 1.93m shooting guard who was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks after two years at the University of Michigan (14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals)
He failed to settle in his two seasons with the Hawks, and this season signed 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Grizzlies.
Kobe Bufkin, who will play for the Lakers with the number 18, has NBA averages of 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 11.7 minutes
Read the full article here
