"They'll burn this city down" - Adrian Wojnarowski reveals Kobe Bryant's Knicks fantasy while still a Laker

Over the years, there have been numerous stories of Kobe Bryant almost departing from the LA Lakers during his historic career. Following his abrupt retirement, Adrian Wojnarowski opened up on the team the Hall of Fame guard almost had his eyes on.

When it comes to Kobe almost leaving the Lakers, the main thing brought up was how the Chicago Bulls came close to trading for him. However, as we all know, he spent his entire NBA run with the league's most historic franchise.

On Thursday, Woj sat down with Carmelo Anthony on his "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. Among the things brought up was how Kobe Bryant always fantasized about playing in Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks.

"He was convinced he was gonna end up with the Knicks," Woj said. "I said like they are not gonna amnesty you, I said they'll burn the city down."

"He would fantasize about the Garden."

It goes without saying what a massive shift this would have been for the NBA. Not only would Kobe be leaving the Lakers, but he'd be going to another iconic franchise. Not to mention he'd be playing in the most hallowed venue in all of sports and entertainment.

While he might have fantasized about it, Kobe's visions of being in New York never came true. Instead, he spent two decades with the Lakers and became one of their most beloved stars.

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Adrian Wojnarowski credits Kobe Bryant for his rise in NBA journalism

When Adrian Wojnarowski announced his retirement back in September, it sent shockwaves through the NBA world. After years of paving his path, he had risen to become arguably the top insider in the industry. According to him, Kobe Bryant played a big part in his ascension.

Later on in his interview with Carmelo Anthony, Woj detailed various big moments in his career. While discussing the LA Lakers legend, he talked about how their relationship impacted how he was viewed around the league. Woj feels that because he built a good connection with Kobe Bryant, it made him look more credible to other players and teams around the league.

(28:24) "One of the things that really gave me credibility in the NBA was Kobe would talk to me," Woj said. "He was really generous with me, and it gave me a lot credibility with other players, with GMs, with everybody."

These days, Woj is using his vast collection of resources for a new career. Following his departure from ESPN, he took a job as GM of St. Bonaventure's basketball program.