Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the spec script With the 8th Pick , a film centered on the pivotal 1996 NBA Draft that brought Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers , according to a report from Matt Donnelly and J. Kim Murphy of Variety.

The screenplay, written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen , has drawn comparisons to Moneyball , The Social Network , and Air , combining the tension of sports decision-making with a thriller-style narrative.

Rather than a traditional biopic, the project focuses specifically on the two weeks leading up to the 1996 draft, told largely through the perspectives of New Jersey Nets general manager John Nash and incoming head coach John Calipari. The Nets, who held the eighth overall pick, were strongly considering Bryant as Calipari’s first NBA

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