The 1996–97 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 49th season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 37th season in Los Angeles, California. This season was mostly remembered for the Lakers signing free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal, and acquiring shooting guard, and high school basketball star Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft during the off-season; in the draft, the Lakers selected point guard Derek Fisher from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with the 24th overall pick. The team also signed former Lakers guard Byron Scott from the "Showtime" era, signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Sean Rooks, and acquired rookie center Travis Knight from the Chicago Bulls. In January, they traded Cedric Ceballos back to his former team, the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Robert Horry, who won two NBA championships with the Houston Rockets.