Underestimating Kobe Bryant Backfired Instantly as 2x NBA Champ Made a Brutal “College” Confession to Him

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” Kobe Bryant didn’t just throw this quote out there. He meant it. Every. Single. Word. 33,643 points. Twenty NBA seasons. Five rings. Eighteen All-Star nods. Indeed, this man was a monster on the court. But this “never to kneel down” mindset wasn’t built in the NBA. Kobe was wired like this from day one. Even in high school, he exhibited relentless determination. And whoever dared to challenge him or underestimate him had their lessons just like a certain 2-time NBA champion.

Even before he became an NBA legend, the late, great Kobe Bryant was already making grown men look twice. Even as a teenager, his game had people whispering his name in the same breath as the greats. One of the wildest stories from his early days is that 1996 scrimmage against Jerry Stackhouse. It was a face-off where a high school kid went at an NBA pro like he belonged there. But Stackhouse wasn’t the only one who got a taste of young Kobe’s fire. 

On ALL THE SMOKE podcast, two-time NBA champ Vernon Maxwell shared his own welcome-to-Kobe moment. They were both shooting guards. In 1996, during a training session between the Philadelphia 76ers and Lower Merion High School, head coach John Lucas II invited high school senior Kobe Bryant to scrimmage with the team. This led to a natural matchup between Bryant and Vernon Maxwell.

A few minutes in, the 30-year-old Maxwell saw the footwork, the handles, the confidence, and it hit him, “This mot——-er is for real.” But then what Mad Max said, nobody was really prepared for that. Watching Kobe’s moves, his swagger, his edge, Maxwell couldn’t help but shake his head and say, “This motherf***er just play like Mike (Michael Jordan), and this one, he was in high school. Mot——-er was tough,” Vermin said. Think about that. A teenager making an NBA vet see flashes of MJ? Yeah, that’s just Kobe for you.

Just imagine this: a high school kid putting the clamps on a 6’4″ NBA pro like it was nothing. Vernon admitted, “I couldn’t do nothing with this mot——-er…He came up and gave me probably 12 straights.”  This was it. Maxwell saw what was brewing and had to keep it real with him, “I said, Kobe, I wanna tell you something, son. I said, man don’t you touch no mot——-er college floor. Man, you come on, you ready man”. Yes, Kobe was ready, ready to carve his name into basketball history.

And for the record, Vernon had already won 2 championships before this, and yet Kobe made him run for his money.  That day Kobe earned both respect and recognition from one of the greatest of that time, at that period.

Kobe Bryant and his hooping days with Lower Merion High School

Before taking over the NBA, Kobe Bryant was already a force at Lower Merion High School. He dominated his last two years, especially his junior season. He averaged 32 points per game that year. And in just his fifth game of the season, he hit the 1,000-point mark against Marple Newtown. A milestone most players can only dream of.

In his senior year, Kobe took things to a whole other level. Across 34 games, he kept piling up records, reaching 2,000 career points by just his sixth game. He dropped 40 or more points in four games and even hit the 50-point mark twice. Out of all 34 games that season, he scored under 20 just three times, and his lowest score was 14.

His impact on the school’s basketball was so impeccable that in 2002, Lower Merion retired his No. 33 jersey. And cemented his place in school history. After Kobe’s tragic passing in January 2020, his former high school coach, Gregg Downer, reflected on the moment he knew Kobe was different. Downer had invited him to train with the varsity team early on, and it didn’t take long to recognize his greatness.  He said, “This kid is a pro,” 

Kobe built his legacy in his high school gym long before he took over the NBA. His relentless drive and his hunger to win were already there, years before the world knew his name. Now, his every story, every memory, and every highlight reel remind us of what we lost far too soon.