overseas and signed with the Greek Basket League giants Panathinaikos for the 1997–98 season, while Kersey signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Knight signed with the Boston Celtics. One notable highlight of the season was the Lakers holding the Dallas Mavericks to just two points in the third quarter, in an 87–80 home win on April 6, 1997. It was the fewest points scored in a quarter of a game in NBA history. Draft picks Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to state that Bryant's workouts against former Lakers players and then assistant coaches Michael Cooper, and Larry Drew were the best he had ever 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 to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant. Roster Regular season Kobe's rookie season During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. 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 during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. He averaged 7.6 points and 15.5 minutes per game in 71 games, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Season standings Record vs. opponents Game log Playoffs |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | April 25 | Portland | W 95–77 | Shaquille O'Neal (46) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum17,505 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 27 | Portland | W 107–93 | Shaquille O'Neal (30) | Eddie Jones (7) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum17,505 | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | April 30 | @ Portland | L 90–98 | Shaquille O'Neal (29) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | O'Neal, Van Exel (4) | Rose Garden21,538 | 2–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 2 | @ Portland | W 95–91 | O'Neal, Campbell (27) |