There wasn’t much that Kobe Bryant didn’t achieve on the basketball court. National High School Player of the Year. NBA Most Valuable Player. Five-time NBA Champion. Two-time Finals MVP. 18-time NBA All-Star. Olympic gold medalist. Hall of Famer. He even won an Oscar! But the one thing Kobe didn’t accomplish - by his own choice- was to play college basketball. Under former draft eligibility rules, Bryant was one of a few dozen U.S. players who skipped college to declare for the NBA Draft straight out of high school. At 17, Bryant was selected with the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets but soon after was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The rest is history. But what would have happened if Kobe had gone to college instead? Would he have ended up on Tobacco Road? What dynasty would get an unexpected reboot by drafting him? What legendary college coach would have an unexpected homecoming? And how does J. Cole fit into all of this? Find out on Alternate Routes.

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