On the Court With... Kobe Bryant Read Free Page B

Coach Downer continued to be impressed. “He’s a very talented player,” he told the press at the beginning of
     the season. “He has the ability to do everything well.”
    But he was also cautious with his young star. “I’m not applying a lot of pressure on him,” he insisted. To help with Kobe’s
     transition, Downer even asked Joe Bryant to serve as an assistant coach.
    Kobe, who sprouted to six-foot-four at age fourteen,easily earned a place in the starting lineup as a guard. Now all he had to do was play.
    But by their opening game, it became clear that the 1992-93 season would be difficult for the Aces. Their two best returning
     players, center Matt Sniderland and guard Sultan Shabazz, were injured and wouldn’t be able to play for the first month.
    A tough schedule in the Central League, one of the best high school leagues in the state, didn’t help. Time and time again
     the Aces stayed close only to lose in the final moments.
    But Kobe was everything Downer had expected, and then some. He was often the best player on the floor, and always the youngest.
     Although there were times he could score at will, Downer was even more impressed by his court savvy and willingness to play
     in a team concept. When the opposition began double-and triple-teaming him, Bryant didn’t force his shot. Instead, he looked
     to pass and involve his teammates in the game.
    Although the Aces finished the season with a dismal 4-20 record, including 3-15 in league play, they played hard all season
     long and didn’t give up.Bryant led the team in scoring, averaging 18 points per game,despite breaking his kneecap and missing the final games of the season.
    Kobe ended the season with a new goal. He told a friend that he wanted to play in the NBA.
    That goal itself was no surprise, but when Kobe planned to enter the NBA was. He told his friend he didn’t want to go to college
     first. He wanted to go straight to the NBA from high school.
    His friend just laughed. Only a handful of players had ever entered the NBA directly from high school. Even Michael Jordan
     hadn’t been good enough to do that.
    But Kobe was serious. He and his buddy made a friendly wager over Kobe’s dream, which he kept a secret from his family.
    But it wouldn’t remain a secret for very much longer.

CHAPTER FOUR
1993-1995
The Ace of the Aces
    When his knee healed in the spring of 1993, Kobe immediately went back to work on his game. That meant playing against his
     father and his uncle, John “Chubby” Cox, who had briefly played in the NBA himself. The three spent hours on the driveway
     court at the Bryant home.
    They worked on everything — free throw shooting, dribbling, driving to the basket, and shooting. When they played one-on-one,
     Kobe got a chance to try out his offensive skills on a player bigger and more experienced than he was. He also had to play
     tough defense in order to stop his father and uncle. The competition was much more intense than playing high school basketball.
    As talented as Kobe was, Joe Bryant was six-foot-nine, experienced, still in shape, and still able to provide more than enough
     competition for his son. In their practice sessions, he played hard, knowing that Kobewouldn’t improve if he took it easy on him. By the end of the summer Kobe was occasionally beating his father.
    One time that summer Kobe blasted by his father, soared to the hoop, and laid the ball in the basket. As he turned the ball
     back over to his father, a wry smile formed on Kobe’s face. He knew he was improving and thought his father could no longer
     keep up with him.
    Joe Bryant noted his son’s growing confidence and decided to teach him a lesson. He dribbled the ball slowly and moved in
     toward the basket as his son guarded him, waving his hands in the air. Then Joe Bryant saw his chance. Overconfident, Kobe
     had overplayed him and was just a little out of position, with his weight on his heels.
    That was the only advantage a player