CHAPTER FOUR 1993-1995
CHAPTER FOUR When his knee healed in the spring of 1993, Kobe immediately went back to work on his game. That meant playing against his father and his uncle, John “Chubby” Cox, who had briefly played in the NBA himself. The three spent hours on the driveway court at the Bryant home.
They worked on everything — free throw shooting, dribbling, driving to the basket, and shooting. When they played one-on-one, Kobe got a chance to try out his offensive skills on a player bigger and more experienced than he was. He also had to play tough defense in order to stop his father and uncle. The competition was much more intense than playing high school basketball.
As talented as Kobe was, Joe Bryant was six-foot-nine, experienced, still in shape, and still able to provide more than enough competition for his son. In their practice sessions, he played hard, knowing that Kobe wouldn’t improve if he took it easy on him. By the end of the summer Kobe was occasionally beating his father.
One time that summer Kobe blasted by his father, soared to the hoop, and laid the ball in the basket. As he turned the ball back over to his father, a wry smile formed on Kobe’s face. He knew he was improving and thought his father could no longer keep up with him.
Joe Bryant noted his son’s growing confidence and decided to teach him a lesson. He dribbled the ball slowly and moved in toward the basket as his son guarded him, waving his hands in the air. Then Joe Bryant saw his chance. Overconfident, Kobe had overplayed him and was just a little out of position, with his weight on his heels.
That was the only advantage a player as good as Joe Bryant needed. He swirled around his son, jumped to the hoop, and stuffed a thunderous jam through the basket. Kobe was left behind, his feet still stuck to the ground.
He realized he still had a lot to work on. “I didn’t think he was that quick,” Kobe said later.
When basketball season started that fall, Kobe was much improved. He’d grown another inch and was even stronger and faster than he had been the previous season. And, like his teammates, he had the added benefit of a year of experience playing basketball at the varsity level.
Downer was impressed with the improvements in Kobe’s game. “He does it all,” he said. “He’s a very complete ballplayer and at this time he’s got the total package. He doesn’t have a weakness.” The coach told the press he expected his team to finish the year with a record above .500, a significant turnaround.
Kobe knew that Downer would expect even more of him in his sophomore season, but he had confidence in his game. “I don’t think of it as pressure,” he said of the expectations that everyone had for him. “I’m young and for me it’s just fun and games. I think we’ll be a lot better than four and twenty.”
With Kobe leading the way, the Aces were much improved. They now won many of the close contests they had lost the previous season. Kobe upped his scoring average to 22 points and also averaged ten rebounds per game. The Aces went 16-6 and made it into the second round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state basketball tournament.
After the season Kobe continued to work on his game. Basketball became a near full-time occupation, particularly in the summer. He played in no less than six different summer leagues, including the prestigious Sonny Hill League, whose alumni included many players, like Joe Bryant, who had become professionals. He also attended the LaSalle College basketball camp and the ABCD camp in New Jersey, which attracted some of the best high school basketball talent in the nation. Some days, he began playing at.9:00 A.M. and didn’t stop until 9:30 at night. Of his grueling schedule, Kobe said, “I just love the game. I want to play as much as I can while I can. As long as I’m happy playing, I’ll play all day and all night.”
Eddie Jones, a star at Temple University who later excelled in the NBA, spotted Kobe in the Hill League and befriended him. He became his unofficial escort, taking him to inner-city Philadelphia to play against the best collegiate talent in the area. Kobe fit right in, as he had learned to add schoolyard moves like the crossover dribble to his game. He was virtually unstoppable.
In his junior year at Lower Merion, everyone expected Kobe to lead the team to the league title and, possibly, the state championship. For although the Aces had lost three valuable seniors from the previous season, the remainder of the team now had the experience they had lacked in the past. As Downer said of his team, “We have plenty of talented kids besides [Bryant]. We’ll be more than a one-player team.”
The Aces got off to a fast start and at midseason were a stellar 11-1. Basketball fans throughout Philadelphia looked forward to their next game, which matched them with powerhouse Coatesville, one of the best teams in the state.
Coatesville had their own superstar in forward Richard Hamilton, a player many thought was even more talented than Kobe. He would later lead the University of Connecticut to an NCAA championship and play in the NBA.
The game was incredibly close. Kobe scored 16 points in the first half, but Coatesville still led at the half, 33-29. But entering the final quarter, Lower Merion nursed a one-point lead.
The teams traded the lead back and forth several times before Lower Merion pulled ahead by four points with less than a minute to play. But Coatesville didn’t give up.
Trailing by two with only seconds left, Hamilton got the ball on the right side of the basket. He drove toward the hoop, then spun into the lane.
Kobe came out to stop him, but the wiry Hamilton twisted and ducked beneath him, rolling in a lay-up to send the game into overtime.
Again the clubs ’traded the lead back and forth. Then, while trying to guard Kobe, Hamilton fouled out of the game.
But Coatesville responded to the loss of their star and led, 77-73, with less than a minute to play. It looked like the Aces were going to fall short.
Kobe patiently dribbled the ball upcourt as Coatesville scrambled to set their defense. When he was twenty-five feet from the hoop, they backed off, covering the passing lanes and blocking his way to the basket.
Kobe didn’t hesitate. He launched into the air and shot.
The ball soared in a high arc and then came down.
Swish! The ball hit nothing but net and the referee threw up both his hands, signaling a three-point basket. Now Coatesville led by only one point.
Lower Merion needed to get the ball back and quickly fouled. When Coatesville missed the foul shot, Kobe swooped in and grabbed the rebound.
The crowd was roaring as Kobe dribbled downcourt and the clock ticked down. Ten… nine… eight…
As Kobe crossed midcourt, he picked up his pace, cutting first to the right and then to the left, past a defender just above the free throw line as he looked for an opening.
Seven… six… five…
He spotted an opening between defenders and slashed into the lane.
Four… three…
As several Coatesville defenders raised their arms and swarmed over him, Kobe pulled up, jumped, and shot a soft six-footer.
Two…
Swish! The ball found the bottom of the net! Kobe and the Aces won, 78-77!
The big win put the Aces in position to dethrone the defending Central League champions, Ridley High. In early February, the two teams met to decide the title.
The Aces trailed by five, 51-46, entering the fourth quarter. Then Kobe took over.
In the final period he poured in 13 points and setup forward Jermaine Griffin for several easy baskets for another 12. Lower Merion won going away, 76-70. Kobe described the game later. “It was like a heavyweight fight. We would not take no for an answer.” Kobe finished with a career-high 42 points.
The win clinched the league title for the Aces, and they began to look ahead to the state tournament. But in their district quarterfinal versus Norristown, Kobe played poorly at first, missing several easy shots.
The vocal Norristown crowd took notice and began to taunt Kobe, chanting, “O-ver-ra-ted.” It seemed to work at first, as Kobe couldn’t get his game going. At halftime, Kobe had only six points and the Aces trailed by eight, 35-27.
But in the second half he responded to the pressure like the professional he wanted to be. He scored an incredible 29 second-half points, including 18 in the fourth period. Lower Merion fought back to win, 75-70. By the end of the game the only noise from the crowd came from delirious Lower Merion fans. “It’s the best feeling in the world to silence an opposing crowd,” said Kobe after the game.
The Aces fought their way into the state tournament, then ran up against a tough Hazelton team. Despite Kobe’s 33 points and 15 rebounds, the Aces lost, 64-59, in overtime.
Kobe was crushed. After the game he broke down in tears and apologized to his teammates for not doing more in the loss.
His teammates and coach scoffed at his apology. As one teammate said later, “Playing with Kobe makes you play better.” They all knew Kobe had done everything he could to help them win.
But Kobe Bryant was still determined to become even better. With only one year remaining in his high school career, he hadn’t forgotten about his dream of playing in the NBA.