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.