Washington, DC [US], August 23 : A movie on late basketball legend Kobe Bryant is now in development at Warner Bros. Pictures, Variety reported.
The studio has bought a script that focuses on the dramatic events of the 1996 NBA Draft, when Bryant's journey to the Los Angeles Lakers began.
According to the publication, the film, tentatively titled 'With the 8th Pick?,' is written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen. Sources say Warner Bros. moved quickly to secure the script, beating out other studios and streamers who had shown interest.
While Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick, he was immediately traded to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. The title refers to the New Jersey Nets, who had the eighth pick that year. Their general manager wanted to choose Bryant, but head coach John Calipari pushed for a different direction.
Insiders have described the upcoming movie as being in the spirit of Moneyball and Air, which told the story of Nike signing a rookie Michael Jordan. Warner Bros. has not commented on the project yet.
Bryant went on to spend 20 seasons with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships and becoming one of the most celebrated players in basketball history. He retired from professional basketball in 2016 at the age of 37.
In 2020, Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine people killed when a helicopter they were travelling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas.
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