The Lakers have always boasted some of the greatest players in the league. Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, the roster has always had the best. This is part of what makes the Lakers one of the most iconic franchises in the league, boasting 17 championships. Bryant himself also put in efforts to bring top talent to the Lakers, but he experienced as many failures as successes. After Dirk Nowitzki, the Lakers failed to secure another veteran, leading to two failed wishes.

During a recent interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, former NBA player Shawn Marion was asked about a competitor he had always wanted to play with. Expressing his admiration for the Lakers franchise and Kobe Bryant, he shared that he had always wanted to play alongside Bryant as a teammate.

“I almost had a chance there too but I wanted to play with Kobe. I mean why not go to Lakers? I think when you think about organizations in each sport there are at least two organizations in each sport that stand out more than above the other body and that’s of course Lakers and Boston themselves because of the rival they had history,” Marion said on Scoop B Selects Season 2. He was intrigued by the competition that the Lakers provided.

The two would have made an ideal pairing, with Marion’s exceptional defensive skills benefiting the Lakers. It was Kobe’s wish to play alongside Marion as well, as the former Dallas Mavericks star himself shared with fans. Marion and Bryant playing alongside each other remained a dream that was never fulfilled.

However, the reason why Kobe Bryant couldn’t bring Marion to the roster remains unknown. Like Marion, Bryant had a strong respect for his opponents, but fans mostly saw the two competing against each other.

Kobe Bryant wanted to bring 3 NBA stars to the Lakers

As mentioned before, the 5x NBA champion always tried to bring in the best players to upgrade the Lakers roster. He successfully brought Metta World Peace to the team in 2008. During his final season in the NBA, Bryant wanted to recruit three NBA stars. The guesses shouldn’t be too hard. They were LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins, and Dwyane Wade.

However, he couldn’t bring any of those players to the City of Angels. While Wade stayed with the Heat, Aldridge went to the Spurs, and Cousins remained with the Kings. The Lakers weren’t at their best, finishing with a 21-61 record and desperately needing a lifeline. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Bryant also made an effort to bring Dirk Nowitzki to the Lakers, but it was a lost cause from the beginning. Nowitzki wasn’t going to leave the Mavericks, where he spent 18 years. Like Bryant, he remained with one franchise throughout his career. All these were failed attempts, but it’s interesting to consider what these strategic additions could have brought to the table.