Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers draft prospect wants to hang with Kobe so much, 'he'd have to kick me out'

Published Jun. 4, 2015 10:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Let's do a little bit of simple math. If you were a college freshman this past academic year, such as UNLV's Rashad Vaughn, you were probably born in 1996. That would mean that you were one year old when Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant entered the league; four years old when Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and that iteration of the Lakers won their first title; and 13 when Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant reigned supreme.

So a player like Vaughn, who says that Bryant was "definitely" his favorite player growing up, your Black Mamaba fanaticism is rooted in the 81-point-scoring version of Kobe and everything that came after it.

We're sorry if that makes you feel old, but the facts are the facts. Also a fact: Vaughn is such a Kobe fan, he says that if the Lakers were to draft him -- a possibility with the 24th pick, as the UNLV freshman is projected to be a late first-rounder -- Bryant would end up getting sick of him pretty quickly:

"I'd probably sleep at his house every night. I'm serious, he'd have to kick me out."

As for his basketball bona fides, Vaughn showed his scoring touch with the Running Rebels last year, averaging just over 18 points per game in his one and only college season. He told reporters at his Lakers workout that he believes he's also a capable playmaker. But Vaughn on the Lakers would have one job: Emulate Kobe's scoring when the Hall of Famer needs a breather. And he'd be just fine with that.

(h/t LA Times)

Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports