Not only did Kobe Bryant’s high school experience differ from most, but Kobe’s high school experience affected him in ways that changed him forever.
In the interview, Kobe Bryant mentions that he got into trouble in his first year of high school in Philadelphia. Kobe was homeschooled and didn’t get to go to school with other kids, so he was not used to the pressure of social interaction. This was the first time he was away from Kobe (his mom) and his dad, and the first time he was away from the comfort of his family.
After a successful high school basketball career, Kobe Bryant was drafted second overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1998 NBA Draft, where he would play for nine years. In 2004, he signed a contract with the LA Lakers, where he would play until the 2012 season. During that time, Bryant was known for his loyalty to the Lakers, but also his temper.. Read more about kobe bryant quotes and let us know what you think.
Between the ages of six and thirteen, Bryant, Kobe lived in Italy with his father, Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant. Bryant was proficient in Italian, having spent most of his youth in the country. The older Bryant made the decision to relocate the family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the younger Bryant would play high school basketball.
However, readjusting to life in the United States was not simple.
In high school, Kobe Bryant was timid and reserved.
Before a game in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant and his high school basketball coach enjoy a memorable moment | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The Superstar documentary series on ABC documented Kobe Bryant’s life. Several sports and media figures who watched the Black Mamba throughout his career provided commentary for the film.
Superstar also offered fans a behind-the-scenes look at Kobe’s Italian background and high school career. Bryant felt like an alien while playing in Italy at times. His father believed it was time for his son to return to the United States, where he could polish his talents and grow as a basketball player.
He went to Lower Merion High School, which is located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He didn’t know any of his classmates, of course. Bryant stated in an interview clip from the documentary, “It took a lot of adjusting.” “I had no idea who anybody was. I used to be extremely shy and reserved.”
Bryant was clearly out of his comfort zone. In a large pond, he was only a tiny fish.
Bryant struggled to comprehend the language.
The language barrier was one of the most difficult obstacles Bryant faced in the early stages of his high school career. Because Italian was his first language, he needed to make more adaptations to get by in daily life.
He claimed that he struggled to comprehend English as well as slang used by high school pupils at the time.
Everyone was speaking in slang, and I couldn’t understand a word they said. ‘Stop sweating me,’ someone would remark, and I’d have no idea what they were talking about.
Kobe Bryant
Bryant also stated that the separation made it difficult for him to make acquaintances. He was never asked to parties or other social events, so when he wasn’t at school, he mostly stayed to himself. Instead, he’d go to the gym with his basketball and dribble all weekend.
Basketball was eventually the vehicle via which he was able to establish friends at school. During lunch and after school, Bryant would go to the gym and play basketball with his classmates.
With a grin on his face, he added, “Basketball is a global language, therefore I was able to speak that way.”
Lower Merion’s basketball program was turned around by Kobe Bryant.
Lower Merion’s basketball squad had been an afterthought in the state’s basketball scene before to Bryant’s arrival. His advanced talents and maturity on the court provided the squad with the much-needed boost.
On the court, he was able to make an instant effect. Lower Merion won the league title under Bryant’s guidance, ending a 17-year skid.
He began getting parallels to Michael Jordan when he was 16 years old. He would go on to set the all-time scoring record in Southeastern Pennsylvania, solidifying his status as a Philadelphia icon.
Kobe Bryant’s career and legacy speak for itself, and it all started in high school when he overcame hardship.
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Long before forming Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant learned an important lesson about hard work from his high school English teacher.
Kobe Bryant first tried to fit in when he enrolled as a freshman at Lower Merion High School in late 1997, but the Philadelphia native struggled with the school’s strict dress code and the culture shock of moving from Los Angeles to a small suburb. In his first three years, he only played two varsity basketball games, but he was a star on the junior varsity team.. Read more about kobe bryant height and let us know what you think.
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