Cue 10,000 word post from Crgreen in 3, 2, 1...
Kobe was picking up an NBA paycheck before Steve Lavin became a head coach. Hard to believe, but Kobe was drafted by Charlotte all the way back on June 26, 1996. Traded to the Lakers, he signed his first contract in July that year. Since he didnt't turn 18 till August 23, 1996, his folks had to cosign!.
Steve Lavin didn't become the UCLA interim Head Coach until that November 6th...
I would think that Harrick was recruiting Kobe and thus Lavin as well...Was it a foregone conclusion that Kobe was going pro? Were colleges recruiting him anyway?
Well, I was TRYING not to be verbose...
Kobe was a lock for Duke and Coach K had he elected to go to college. Any number of stories about that as they partnered for the gold last year.
As for Steve's recruting Kobe. Hard to believe, but Steve wasn't really one of the recruiting assistants for the Bruins. He might have been marginally involved, but Lornzo Romar and Mark Gottfried were the lead Harrick recruiting assistants, and when they left in '96, Michael Holton became Harrick's lead recruiting assistant. Funny, as remarkable as he proved to be at it, had he BEEN lead recruiter, Steve might still be an assistant. I don't believe Lavin as lead recruiting assistant would have allowed Harrick to make the mistake at the recruiting dinner for the Collins twins that eventually got Harrick fired. But that's just personal opinion.
Always strikes me as funny how soon Bruin fans forgot. Steve wasn't known as a recruiter - he was an Xs and Os coach for Harrick - in fact he was Harricks defensive coach, FULLY credited by Jim for developing and implementing the multiple switching defense the team employed in 1995 to win the National Championship. THAT'S the criteria that got Steve named interim Head Coach when Harrick was replaced.