Kobe Bryant on April 29, 1996, at Lower Merion High School, in a packed gymnasium, made it official: He wasn’t going to Duke. He wasn’t going to La Salle. He wasn’t going to North Carolina or Arizona or Michigan. He wasn’t going to college at all. He was going straight to the NBA. The Charlotte Hornets took him with the 13th pick in the NBA draft, then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. With that announcement, Kobe Bryant launched himself into the stratosphere of stardom, and he would remain there for the rest of his life. But for many weeks before that press conference, he had already been tasting celebrity, getting close to it, seeing what it was like, and sometimes it was hard for him to handle.
There were two more major events that took place in Kobe’s life before his time at Lower Merion High School came to an end, and these events showed two things: one, that he was becoming more famous by the day, and two, that he knew he was becoming more famous by the day -- and he liked it.
Pre-order Mike Sielski's related book: “The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality" (1/11/22): TheRiseOfKobeBook.com
Join the conversation about “I Am Kobe” on social media: on Twitter and Instagram: @diversionpods
Our theme music is “Create Yourself” by Grover Braam feat. Justin Starling: Listen to Create Yourself on Spotify
Cover photo © Eileen Blass – USA TODAY NETWORK
“I Am Kobe” is a production of Diversion Podcasts in association with iHeartRadio. This season is written and hosted by Mike Sielski. Produced by Jacob Bronstein and directed by Mark Francis. Story editing by Jacob Bronstein with editorial direction from Scott Waxman. Editing, mixing, and sound design by Mark Francis. Production Assistant: Stephen Tompkins. Music Supervisor: Scott Velasquez for Frisson Sync. Executive Producers: Mark Francis and Scott Waxman.
Thanks to Oren Rosenbaum, Susan Canavan, and Jeremy Treatman.
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1E12: Legacy
S1E11: Tricks of the Basketball Trade
S1E10: Remembering Greatness
S1E9: The Bond That Broke
S1E7: The Mind of a Champion
S1E6: The Summer of '95
S1E5: We Need A Hero
S1E4: Phenom of Philly
S1E3: A Young Man in Lower Merion
S1E2: The Bryant Family Legacy
S1E1: The Tapes
S1Official Trailer: I Am Kobe
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