Sure, kid, keep dreaming.
Bryant kept dreaming, and just as important, worked hard, and while he might not be the No. 1 pick this month, he is a projected first-round pick and possibly a lottery pick.
“For me to have the opportunity to even be selected in the draft is just actually crazy to me,” Bryant said. “But there was never a point in time where it was like, ‘Oh, I knew.’ I felt like I’ve always had the belief in myself to know I could play at the highest level of basketball.”
Bryant is one nearly two-dozen potential 2025-26 NBA rookies represented by Wasserman, the powerhouse sports, music entertainment and culture agency. Wasserman’s NBA agents have signed several projected 2025 first-round draft picks, including multiple projected lottery picks: VJ Edgecombe, Kasparas Jakucionis, Collin Murray-Boyles and Bryant.
Also part of Wasserman’s 2025 class: Adama Bal; Oumar Ballo; Tyson Degenhart; Dawson Garcia; Cameron Hildreth; Augustas Marciulionis; Dayvion McKnight; David N’Guesson; Jaxson Robinson; Mitchell Saxon; Christian Shumate; Lazar Stefanovic; Des Watson; Luke Barrett; Nolan Traore; Joan Beringer; Eli John Ndiaye; and Saliou Niang.
Wasserman on Monday announced its class with an old-school nod to classic cars, diners, varsity jackets with the catchphrase, “Where Everybody Eats.”
“We normally attract very focused players and families who aren’t worried about the extras and are focused on basketball,” Wasserman senior vice president of basketball Joe Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “We have a very rigorous pre-draft process and the families and players that want that is normally who we attract.
“So this year is just kind of a microcosm of all those very, very good players and their families choosing to come with us, which turns out, in my opinion, one of the best classes in the world. That’s what it is … understanding how competitive the NBA is and being realistic on that and getting those guys prepared for that.”
Wasserman clients are on a stellar run – San Antonio’s Stephon Castle earned 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, and Cleveland’s Evan Mobley was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Most of Wasserman’s NBA prospects have been working out with each other in Southern California preparing for the draft.
“It’s a very, very competitive iron-sharpens-iron environment, and you’ve got to want that,” said Smith, a former pro basketball player who spent 14 seasons overseas, including six years in Italy’s top division.
Bryant, who spent one season at Arizona, has dedicated his workouts to all aspects of his game, which include defense, shooting, ball-handling and conditioning.
“The main focus for me was just staying in tiptop shape,” said Bryant who is gaining an appreciation for low-impact workouts in a pool.
Asked what he was focused on during predraft workouts, Murray-Boyles didn’t hesitate. He called his 3-point shot (26.5% on 34 attempts) the elephant in the room.
“My goal is just to obviously become a better shooter,” he said. “That’s my only concern, only question mark in my game really, or the biggest one.”
He reminds himself daily: make sure his guide hand is in the right spot on the basketball; keep his hips low; stay consistent; build proper habits.
“The first day here I knew the amount of preparation I would be getting and the type of player I would be coming out of this pre-draft process,” Murray-Boyles said.
Said Smith: “We just have a really good stable of young players who are really, really hungry and work really hard. So we are super-excited for them.”