<P> The 1996--97 NBA season was the 9th season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association . During the offseason, the Hornets acquired Anthony Mason from the New York Knicks, and Vlade Divac from the Los Angeles Lakers . Under new head coach Dave Cowens, the new - look Hornets played better than expected: Divac and Matt Geiger provided the best center combo in the league, Mason averaged a double - double and earned All - NBA Third Team honors, and Glen Rice had the finest season of his career, finishing third in the league in scoring with a career high of 26.8 points per game, and earning All - NBA Second Team honors . Rice also set several scoring records in the 1997 NBA All - Star Game, and was selected the game's MVP . At midseason, the Hornets traded Scott Burrell to the Golden State Warriors while acquiring Ricky Pierce from the Denver Nuggets . The Hornets went on a nine - game winning streak in April, and finished fourth in the Central Division with a franchise best record at 54--28, making it back to the playoffs after a one - year absence . </P> <P> In the first round of the playoffs, they were swept by the New York Knicks in three straight games . The Hornets led the NBA in attendance for the eighth and final time during their history in Charlotte . They also had the best three - point percentage in NBA history shooting 42.8% from beyond the arch . Following the season, Pierce re-signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks . </P> <P> In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Hornets selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall pick . Before he was chosen by the Hornets, the 17 - year - old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then - Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts . West even went on to state that Bryant's workouts were some of the best he had seen . Immediately after the draft, Dave Cowens expressed that the Hornets had no use for him . Fifteen days later, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Round </Th> <Th> Pick </Th> <Th> Player </Th> <Th> Position </Th> <Th> Nationality </Th> <Th> School </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Kobe Bryant </Td> <Td> SG </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> Lower Merion HS </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who did charlotte hornets trade kobe bryant for