Welcome back, MVP! Kobe returns home to Lower Merion
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Kobe spent several hours at Lower Merion Thursday catching up with teachers, coaches, former teammates and the boys and girls basketball teams. He also recorded school video announcements in the television studio and participated in an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters for an upcoming E:60 special about "coming home."
Highlights of Kobe's return included a Q & A session with members of the Dawg Pound and the boys and girls programs (9th through varsity). During the session, several members of the 1996 state championship team -- Jermaine Griffin, Emory Dabney and Cary Walker -- made a surprise entrance to greet their legendary teammate. Bryant also helped Alon Seltzer '10 shore up his prom plans, setting up the senior guard's prom date proposal in front of the room -- "Alon, don't you have something you want to ask Emily?." (She said yes.)
Later, Bryant gathered with the varsity boys for a private conversation and some humorous banter with Coach Downer and the 2009-10 team. He also unveiled to the team his latest Nike/Lower Merion sneaker, a maroon and silver version of the Kobe V. Bryant and Griffin discussed the 1996 season and how a "refuse-to-lose" mentality transformed a 3-2 start into a 27 game winning streak and a state championship.
After making stops to see Spanish teacher Sandy Betegh (their conversation was entirely in Spanish) and English teacher Jeanne Mastriano, Kobe headed to the gym for his interview with Salters and showed off some fresh new Lower Merion Aces gear for a photo shoot.
Click here for Brady McHale's Bulldog Blog as he illustrates what it was like to sit next to the basketball legend.
For a detailed recap and multi-media coverage of Kobe's visit by Bruce Adams and Pete Bannan of the Main Line Times, click here.
Click here for photos of Kobe's visit- by Aces photographer Noah Zuares
This is Kobe's second visit to LMHS of the school year. He stopped by LM for a workout in October.