As people in the city of Los Angeles and Lakers fans remember Kobe Bryant on the fourth anniversary of his death, a community in Philadelphia is also mourning the basketball legend.
That’s because long before Bryant became synonymous with Los Angeles Basketball, he was a prodigy, playing for Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia and already displaying a lot of star power.
“It was like Bruce Springsteen was on the team,” recalled Jeremy Treatman, who was an Assistant Coach Kobe’s senior year at the school. “I was on the one getting him on and off buses, and it wasn’t easy. He was signing hundreds and hundreds of autographs every game.”
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The former coach said the young man who would grow up to be known as Black Mamba dreamed big.
“He told us he was going to be one of the greatest of all time,” Treatman said. “I just respect the hell out of people who say they are going to do something amazing and make an amazing goal for themselves and do it.”
For Philadelphia residents who witnessed Kobe’s start, watching him to become one of the most legendary NBA stars was personal and special, Treatman said.
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“I don’t know anybody in Philadelphia who doesn’t marvel about Kobe Bryant as a player and wasn’t proud that one of the five, 10 best players who ever played the game played right there at Lower Merion High School.”
Bryant made a major donation back in 2010 at the Lower Merion School District. Most of the money helped build the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium.
