Warner Bros. is set to bring NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s early career story to the big screen. The studio has acquired the rights to With the 8th Pick, a feature film that chronicles the pivotal 1996 NBA Draft and Bryant’s path to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The screenplay, written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen, follows the tense decision-making process of the New Jersey Nets and then-general manager John Nash, who strongly considered drafting Bryant out of high school with the eighth pick. Instead, Bryant was ultimately selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to the Lakers — where he became one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning five championships and cementing his legacy as a Los Angeles icon, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Described as a mix of Moneyball and Air, the film explores how small choices during that draft could have reshaped the future of the league. No director has yet been attached to the project.
Bryant’s career included legendary partnerships with Shaquille O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson, building dynasties that defined an era of basketball. His life was tragically cut short in a 2020 helicopter crash that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Sohn, also developing a John Madden biopic for Netflix, is represented by Verve and Lit Agency. Johannsen is represented by Verve and Gotham.