clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Hive Talk Live: Guest Jonathan Abrams, Author of Boys Among Men

Would Kobe Bryant have played in Charlotte if the Hornets had gone back on their deal in 1996?

By Doug Branson, David B. Walker, and Nicklaus Denning

There was no rule against it, but with rare exceptions high school players were not taken in the NBA draft. Then 1995 happened. Kevin Garnett exploded onto the scene and for the next ten years prep stars invaded late-June. It only lasted a decade before the NBA instituted an age limit. Still, the ramifications are still being felt all over the Association. The Charlotte Hornets will always be linked with this time. They drafted Kobe Bryant out of high school in 1996. They helped change the narrative of the first prep star ever to be taken with the 1st overall pick, Kwame Brown. And they still have a prep-to-pro star on their roster in Al Jefferson. We speak with Jonathan Abrams, author of the new book Boys Among Men, about this remarkable time in NBA history and Hornets' history.

Hive Talk Live

PLUS

  • We recap a tough Hornets loss to the Cavaliers and update you on the latest surround Nicolas Batum and Al Jefferson's injuries
  • Inside the Locker Room gets several players thoughts on the transition from high school and college to the NBA as a rumored extension of the current age limit looms over labor talks
  • If it went down in the NBA, Nick Denning is going to find out about it. It's another extra saucy edition of What's Happen'n! Around the NBA.

More From At The Hive