The 1996–97 Los Angeles Lakers season was the highlight of signing Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...

 to a multi-year deal.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	24	Derek Fisher Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...	Guard		Arkansas-Little Rock UALR Trojans The UALR Trojans is the name by which the athletic teams of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are known. The Trojans are a non-football member of the Sun Belt Conference. The University offers 6 men's and 9 women's varsity sports....

Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft

NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...

 pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996

1996 NBA Draft

The 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...

, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West

Jerry West

Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...

, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to state that Bryant's workouts were some of the best he had seen. Immediately after the draft, Bryant expressed that he did not wish to play for the Hornets and wanted to play for the Lakers instead. Fifteen days later, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac

Vlade Divac

Vlade Divac is a retired Yugoslav and Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA. At , he played center and was known for his passing skills...

 to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant.

Kobe’s Rookie Season

During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones (basketball)

Eddie Charles Jones is an American former professional basketball player. Jones played college basketball at Temple University and was the 1993–94 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year...

 and Nick Van Exel

Nick Van Exel

Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...

. Initially, he played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. He earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan-favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest

Slam Dunk Contest

The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...

.

Playoffs

• Won Western Conference First Round over Portland Trail Blazers (3 games to 1)
• Lost Western Conference Semifinals to Utah Jazz (4 games to 1)

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

Player	GP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	AVG
Nick Van Exel Nick Van Exel Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...	79	2.9	8.5	0.9	0.1	1206	15.3
Derek Fisher Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...	80	1.2	1.5	0.5	0.1	309	3.9
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...	51	12.5	3.1	0.9	2.9	1336	26.2

Award winners

• Kobe Bryant
  Kobe Bryant
  Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
  
  , Second Team, NBA All-Rookie Team
  NBA All-Rookie Team
  The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
  
  
• Travis Knight, Second Team, NBA All-Rookie Team