Everything we needed to know about Kobe Bryant was already written, read, seen and heard. He recently declared that this will be his final season yet, there was nary a mention of his basketball background prior to his legendary pro career. So let’s sum up his high school years.
Kobe was born five months after I graduated from high school in 1978. He spent his childhood in Italy where his father Joe, played pro ball after playing in the NBA. Joe retired from professional basketball in 1991 and the family then moved to Lower Merion, a suburb in Philadelphia, USA.
As an eight grader, Kobe was on the school’s varsity team and was referred to as ‘Joe Bryant’s Kid.’ He stood at 6-1, skinny, but shoots the long ball well and has good handle. With him, the team improved each year and by his junior season, they competed but lost in the district championship and likewise the state playoffs.
Entering his senior year during the 1995-1996 season, Kobe was already ranked number one among the top US college prospects. But college was not on his mind. The frustration of the previous year had a lingering effect on him that he was hard on his teammates, getting on their faces, demanding that they give their all in games as well as in practices. He was always first to arrive at the gym, last to go out.
As the year wore on, attention towards Kobe increased that games are getting crowded with local and national news outfits covering their games and even practices. Since there were no smartphones then and multimedia was still a few years away, that instead of his highlights uploaded on YouTube, they were shown on ESPN at an almost nightly basis. High school teammates say Kobe’s popularity and attention is like taking care of Bruce Springsteen or travelling with the Beatles.
Despite the fanfare, he was never distracted. Kobe had the same focus, intensity and desire to excel that continues to describe him up to the waning moments of his stellar career. Letters from Duke and Kentucky were even ignored and left unopened.
While most of his teammates were having a good time drinking beer, he was practicing with the Sixers. Because then Sixer coach John Lucas had a daughter that went to Lower Merion, Kobe had access to their practice. He was not intimidated by the more seasoned NBA players. He would go at Jerry Stackhouse and more than held his own. Stackhouse didn’t like a high school kid having his way around him that heated words were exchanged that once almost led to a fight. Practicing with the Sixers readied Kobe’s mind on the jump to the pros.
On the road to the state championships, Lower Merion defeated a school that featured a future NBA star in Richard Hamilton. In 2004, their paths crossed again, this time Rip was victorious when the Detroit Pistons upset the Lakers for the NBA title.
After the state championships, Kobe announced that he would skip college and join the 1996 NBA Draft, joining the rest of perhaps one of the best rookie class ever. In June, he was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and was immediately dealt to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
Lower Merion was not noted for their basketball program pre-Kobe days. He has left such a good imprint that the school had won several state championships since then. Kids wanted to play for a guy who once coached Kobe Bryant.
Coach Drew Donner said, “It’s hard to believe its been 20 years, but Kobe had a big impact on everyone around here, a very positive impact.”
Since announcing his retirement, tributes to his greatness came like a heavy downpour. This will be the last time we will be seeing one of the game’s greatest ever to lace up a pair of signature Nikes. His farewell poem was well-worded that a paragraph speaks clearly why.
“This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”
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During the first ten years of Kobe’s career (1996-2006), he wore number 8 and won 3 NBA titles. He also scored 81 points versus Toronto. As a tribute to his jersey number at Lower Merion, he wore 24 beginning 2006. With it, he established his own identity following Shaquille O’Neal’s departure to Miami. He won 2 titles, 2 Finals MVPs and one league MVP. The Laker franchise is not decided on what jersey number to retire. Since both are part of the Kobe legend, it would be easy to retire #8 and #24. Problem solved.