There are reports that a new movie about the life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant is in the works five years after his terrible death. Industry insiders say that Warner Bros. has bought a spec film called With the 8th Pick, which will show viewers what happened behind the scenes before the 1996 NBA draft.
The movie is different from a typical biopic since it focuses on the two-week time before the draft when the stakes were quite high. The story will be recounted from the point of view of John Nash, the general manager of the New Jersey Nets, and John Calipari, the coach. It will look at the “what if” scenario of how the team almost drafted Bryant with the eighth choice.
In fact, the Charlotte Hornets picked Bryant with the 13th overall choice and then traded him right away to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Sources say that the movie would explore the reasons behind this important event, such as Bryant’s longstanding love of the Lakers and a lucrative Adidas sneaker deal that would have been better for him if he played in Los Angeles.
Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen wrote the script. Tim and Trevor White, who made the award-winning movie King Richard, are working on the project with Ryan Stowell and Gotham Chopra of Religion of Sports. Even though there hasn’t been an official announcement about the director or cast yet, people are starting to guess who could play the famous NBA player.
Michael B. Jordan, who played a young Bryant in a commercial and used the player as inspiration for his character in the Creed movies, and Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, who fans say looks a lot like Bryant, are two of the names being thrown around.
People have called the movie a mix of genres, saying it’s like The Social Network meets Air meets Moneyball. It promises a story full of drama that shows one of the most important decisions in NBA history.