Kobe Bryant knows a thing or two about being traded as a rookie. He was dealt by the Charlotte Hornets on draft night in 1996 to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. Kobe turned out to be a superstar, who has won five NBA championships.

Here we are in 2014 and the Cleveland Cavaliers have traded their number one overall pick, Andrew Wiggins, for Kevin Love. Wiggins has star potential, and Kobe Bryant clearly sees that.

Cleveland is making the same mistake that Charlotte made with me,” Kobe said when asked about Wiggins.

That is an enormous statement made by the Black Mamba. We all know that Bryant will go down as one of the greatest to ever play so is he trying to say that Wiggins will be as great as him? It certainly seems that way.

Wiggins has yet to play in an NBA game but receiving this kind of encouragement from a future Hall of Famer will definitely go a long way towards building confidence in the 19-year old Kansas product.

Meanwhile, Cleveland has a win-now mentality and that is why they felt obligated to trade Wiggins for an established Kevin Love. However, NBA shall soon see if Kobe Bryant has correct judgment. 

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About the author
Vahan Shakhpazyan
Vahan Shakhpazyan loves the NBA with a passion and has been an avid follower for 18 years. He is a UCR graduate with a BA degree in Creative Writing. The man behind the Facebook page NBA updates.