Instead of College, Bryant Opted for NBA’s Program for the Gifted

Three years since the jump, he’s practically old school.

Of course, Kobe Bryant is also of no school, being one of the leading lights of the new wave of high school players who skipped college for the NBA life.

He would be a senior this season, if he had gone to college and been patient enough to stay the duration.

“It would’ve been fun, because I obviously would’ve learned,” Bryant said when asked if he has regrets about skipping school.

“But I think coming to the NBA . . . you know you have to eventually adjust to the NBA game. And I’m not about wasted motion. I’m not about wasting time.

“I felt if I would’ve went to college, it would’ve been cool, I would’ve learned a lot. But I was ready to jump right into it and get going. I didn’t want to waste any time.”

He might have gone to Duke, teamed with Elton Brand and William Avery for a few seasons, probably won a few national titles, enjoyed life on campus.

During last season’s Final Four, Bryant even lived semi-vicariously through his old friend, Richard Hamilton, while Hamilton and Connecticut prepared for and then upset Duke for the national title.

“Yeah, it was fun,” Bryant said. “I was very proud of him, very happy for what he did. It was fun, because he was telling me about the camaraderie of it, which was cool.

“Then we just started talking trash. I told him, ‘If I was in college, dog, I would’ve won that game. There’s no way in hell you would’ve.’ ”

But that was never his fate, Bryant says.

He has a $70.9-million contract, three hard NBA seasons behind him and 15 or more still to go.

He sees Kevin Garnett dominating with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tracy McGrady beginning to shine in Toronto, Al Harrington in Indiana and Jermaine O’Neal in Portland, and Jonathan Bender starting out in Indiana.

The future of the league, he says, is going to be propelled by players who choose not to attend college.

“You look around, and the best players in the league are all going to be the guys who came right out of high school,” Bryant said. “So you’re going to tell me it’s wrong to do it?”