Kobe Bryant’s High School Coach Explained How He Played Without A Mask Despite Having A Broken Nose: “From That Moment On, I Knew We Were Going To Win A State Championship.”

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Before he became a dominant force in the NBA, Kobe Bryant was putting on a show the likes of which few others had ever put up on the high school level. Kobe became the biggest star at Lower Merion, and his talent was apparent from the get-go, as he became the first freshman to start on their varsity team in decades.

By his junior year, Bryant was one of the biggest names on the circuit, as he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks, and 2.3 steals, which earned him Pennsylvania Player of the Year honors. Still, a state championship eluded the team, and Kobe made sure they didn’t have to wait much longer for it. In his senior year, he led them to their first championship in 53 years by averaging 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals, and 3.8 blocks, as his all-around game was on full display.

There was a hiccup along the way, though, as his coach Gregg Downer once recalled that Bryant had broken his nose prior before the semifinals and was clearly bothered by having to wear a mask to protect himself.

via The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Downer said Bryant broke his nose, diving for a loose ball and colliding with teammate Leo Stacy during a practice before the state semifinals vs. Chester.

“For 48 hours, we didn’t know: ‘Would he play? Could he play? Would he wear a mask? How is he going to get through this game?’” Downer said. “He warmed up [before the game] with a mask. He didn’t like how it felt.

“We came back in one final conversation and he ripped the mask off, threw it against the wall and said, ‘Guys, let’s go to war. I’m not wearing this thing.’

“From that moment on, I knew we were going to win a state championship.”

You wouldn’t expect anything else from Bryant, as something like that wasn’t going to hold him back. He would go on to score 39 points against Chester to lead them to the win before clinching that elusive title for his high school a couple of days later.

Bryant once revealed that he had a kill list of the 56 players who were ranked ahead of him and that he made it his mission in high school to hunt them down. He proved his doubters wrong by winning that championship and then, of course, went on to have an amazing career in the NBA.

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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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