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A film project centered around NBA superstar Kobe Bryant’s journey to the Los Angeles Lakers is currently in development at Warner Bros., as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen, the screenplay for With the 8th Pick chronicles the high-stakes draft process that saw Bryant enter the NBA in 1996. The project had garnered significant attention from other studios and streaming services before Warner Bros. made a preemptive move to secure it. Currently, no director has been attached to the project.
Set against the backdrop of the NBA Draft, With the 8th Pick will primarily focus on the New Jersey Nets and their then-general manager, John Nash, who held the eighth pick and contemplated selecting Bryant right out of high school. Ultimately, Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets at the 13th pick before being traded to the Lakers, where he would go on to win five NBA championships and cement his legacy as one of basketball’s greatest icons.
This narrative is expected to blend elements reminiscent of Moneyball, The Social Network, and Air, the latter focusing on Michael Jordan’s landmark partnership with Nike. With the 8th Pick aims to explore how pivotal decisions during this period could have dramatically altered the landscape of the NBA.
Producers Tim and Trevor White of Star Thrower Entertainment and Ryan Stowell of Religion of Sports are attached to the film. Notably, Gotham Chopra, co-founder of Religion of Sports alongside Tom Brady and Michael Strahan, is also producing the project.
Kobe Bryant, an indelible part of the Lakers’ success alongside legends like Shaquille O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020 at the age of 41, alongside his daughter Gianna.
Sohn is also involved in writing a planned John Madden project for Netflix under the Religion of Sports banner, while Johannsen is represented by Verve and Gotham.
The film news was originally reported by The InSneider.
Based on reporting by Hollywood Reporter. Read the full story at Hollywood Reporter.