Image Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant Biopic Announced by Warner Bros, Centered on 1996 NBA Draft and Untold Lakers Journey

Warner Bros secures rights for new basketball drama

Image Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Warner Bros has confirmed development of a feature film about basketball legend Kobe Bryant, centered on his landmark entry into the NBA.

Titled With the 8th Pick, the project will retrace the 1996 NBA Draft and the vital decisions that influenced the future of the league. The Los Angeles Lakers icon, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, will be at the heart of the story.

The screenplay, written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johanssen, reportedly drew wide interest from studios before Warner Bros secured the rights. A director has not yet been attached to the project.

The film will focus on the New Jersey Nets and then-general manager John Nash, who held the eighth pick in the draft. Nash is said to have considered selecting the teenage shooting guard straight from high school, a move that could have changed NBA history.

Remembering husband, girl dad, entrepreneur, friend, five-time champion, and one of the greatest to ever lace them up, Kobe Bryant on his birthday 🎁 pic.twitter.com/oTUfmMionU
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 23, 2025

Instead, Bryant was eventually chosen at No. 13 by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Lakers. That trade marked the start of one of basketball’s most interesting careers, as Bryant went on to win five championships with Los Angeles.

Reports suggest ‘With the 8th Pick’ will mirror sports business dramas such as Moneyball and last year’s Air. Rather than a conventional biography, it will showcase the behind-the-scenes decisions and negotiations that determined Bryant’s career path and reshaped the Lakers.

Bryant’s legacy continues to resonate five years after his death at age 41. The tragedy also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. In 2024, his wife Vanessa Bryant unveiled a statue of Kobe outside the Lakers’ home arena in Los Angeles.

Vanessa Bryant Speaks on the Project

In an emotional speech at the ceremony, Vanessa Bryant reflected on how much the moment meant to the family and the fans. “It goes without saying that today is an especially sad day for us since Kobe and Gigi aren’t here,” she said.

Vanessa revealed that the statue’s pose was one Kobe himself approved. “For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. So if anyone has any issues with it, tough… It is what it is.”

She concluded by citing her late husband’s words: “Leave the game better than you found it…and when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.”