Childhood Dream Realized: Cameron Carr Selected by Lakers, Same Franchise Where Kobe Bryant Starred
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Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Lakers used their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select Baylor guard Cameron Carr, giving the 21-year-old a chance to wear the uniform once donned by Kobe Bryant—an opportunity he described as a “childhood dream.”
Speaking with reporters shortly after being drafted on June 24, Carr referenced his family’s link to the franchise. His father, Chris Carr, spent six seasons in the NBA after being chosen in the second round in 1996 and finished runner-up to Bryant in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. “When you think about basketball, it’s hard not to think about Kobe Bryant,” the younger Carr said, via the Los Angeles Times.
Although he was not yet born when his father competed against Bryant, Cameron Carr now joins the same purple-and-gold organization after a standout sophomore season at Baylor. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 18.9 points, hit 37.4 percent of his 3-point attempts on 6.1 tries per game and blocked 1.3 shots per contest. At the NBA Draft Combine, he recorded the second-highest standing vertical leap, the second-fastest lane-agility time and the third-highest max vertical. His wingspan exceeds seven feet.
Carr is expected to share the backcourt with Luka Dončić and newly re-signed guard Austin Reaves. Los Angeles and Reaves reached a four-year, $185 million agreement that begins at $41.3 million next season and includes a player option in the final year.
The Lakers hope Carr’s athleticism and shooting translate quickly as he begins building his own legacy within the franchise that was home to Bryant for two decades.
Source: Lakers Nation
