Isaiah Hartenstein’s top five players ever: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Stephen Curry

How did the trade happen? VLADE DIVAC: Magic and some other players had retired, and I was one of the only veterans left. New players were coming in, and the Lakers initially wanted to trade another player for Kobe. However, Charlotte insisted on me. The Lakers really wanted Kobe, seeing him as a potential MVP, and they cleared cap space to bring in Shaquille O’Neal too. Of course, I was angry, I didn’t want to leave, but looking back now, I would have traded myself for Kobe. There were rumors that the trade almost fell through because you refused to go to the Hornets. Is that true? VLADE DIVAC: When they told me about the trade, I refused. I said I wouldn’t go. Then they explained that it was in my contract, that if I didn’t agree, I wouldn’t be able to play basketball anymore. That’s when I made it clear that I played basketball out of love, and if that meant not playing anymore, then so be it. Money is nice, but it comes naturally. I’m not someone who would go somewhere just because someone else wants me to. I played basketball for the joy of it. The moment it stopped being fun for me, I would stop playing. That’s when they realized they couldn’t break me, so they changed their approach. They held a meeting with me and asked me to at least go there for two or three weeks to at least go there for two or three weeks to see if I’d like it. Then I could decide. When I arrived in Charlotte, I saw that I could actually enjoy it there, so I accepted. But, yes, those ten days were really tense. -via Index / September 21, 2024