With Sunday's retirement announcement, Kobe Bryant's upcoming visit be the last time he comes to Philadelphia as a professional basketball player. It is a time of reflection for those who knew him when he played at Lower Merion, who watched him evolve from a talented 13-year-old boy to an NBA-ready 17-year-old man.
I was an assistant coach on the Lower Merion team for Kobe's junior and senior seasons, and I have wonderful memories of the kid that I first met as an 8th grader. That first encounter was at the Jewish Community Center on Haverford & City Line, and I recall a boy who was fascinated with his new-found ability to jump up and touch the rim.