With NBA All-Star weekend commencing this week in the Big Apple it seems fitting that we pay homage to one of the most iconic figures within the NBA today: Kobe Bryant. While unfortunate injuries have robbed the legend of making an appearance in the first All-Star game in NYC since 1998, we decided to showcase some of the Black Mamba’s greatest All-Star moments in the inaugural edition of the Kobe Chronicles. With that in mind, we take things back 18 years to the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk contest where teenage Kobe Bryant made history in the adidas EQT Elevation model.
To see more, flip through the pages below to get a detail history of this stellar Mamba moment.
Lower Merion Phenom
Coming out of Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant was considered by many to be one of the best prep prospects to emerge from the United States in recent history. With his rare combination of height and skill, Bryant shot up draft boards as his pre-draft workouts with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are among NBA pre-draft lore.
During his senior season at the aforementioned Lower Merion High School, Bryant would turn in averages of 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game, all while garnering McDonald’s All-American honors, being named the Naismith High School Player of the Year, as well as the Gatorade Men’s National Basketball Player of the Year.
