"I was pissed. I was upstaged by this younger kid" - Ex-Lower Merion HS team captain recalls how Kobe Bryant replaced him

It was inside the bustling basketball gym of Lower Merion High School where Kobe Bryant first showcased his prodigious talent and honed his game. When young Kobe arrived, the Lower Merion Aces were captained by Doug Young, who was already in his senior year at the time.

Like everybody else on the campus, Young was also in awe of Bryant's athleticism and unwavering confidence. Though they jibed on the court during games, Doug said that was not the case during drills.

To this day, Young still vividly recalls how Kobe, despite not intending to, used to embarrass him in scrimmages. Though he was mad about it, the Aces captain acknowledged that at that point in his time with the team, Bryant was already the main man.

"I was one of the players that day that Kobe was trashing on the court," Young told USA Today in 2020. "I just remember him going up and putting two hands up, and it wasn’t even a blocked shot. He just took the ball from me at the height of my release,” Young said with a laugh. “I was pissed. I was upstaged by this younger kid."

“[He said] 'Doug, get your hands off the ball because this is going to start looking bad.' He didn't want me to look like a fool," he remembered. "So, I released my hands from the ball and went to the back of the line. In that moment, I was definitely a complementary piece on the team."

Kobe was ready for the NBA

Young's admission was no surprise as Bryant was undeniably different from other high school players in the country. His scoring prowess set him apart, but it was his competitive spirit that truly defined him as a player.

Unsurprisingly, Kobe became Lower Merion's brightest star. In his senior year, he led the school to its first state championship in 53 years.

Bryant's rise to prominence caught the attention of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who described him as "like Jordan at a high school level " the first time he saw the youngster in person. Coach K knew he was witnessing a generational player and tried to recruit Bryant to Duke but to no avail.

Kobe's refusal to join Duke did not shock Coach K, as he could tell that the explosive guard was ready to play with the big boys in the pros.

"He could not only play the role during a game; he played the role before and after the game. He looked that good; he believed he was that good, and he was that good. I knew he was never gonna come," Krzyzewski once said of high school Bryant.

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Young knew Kobe would be an NBA superstar

In the summer of 1996, what many scouts and college coaches expected turned into reality. Bryant boldly skipped college and jumped straight into the pros. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th overall pick but was famously traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on the same day.

As a teenager, Bryant struck experts and analysts as an overconfident kid destined for a rude awakening in the NBA. Young even once heard a radio host predict the Lower Merion alum would be a bust in the league, which understandably ticked him off.

According to Young, people only saw the end result of Kobe's game and were quick to jump to conclusions. What they didn't know was that behind his electrifying plays, Bryant tirelessly worked hard to achieve it.

"'He’s the hardest working person that I've ever met,'" Young recalled telling the radio host. "'If there is anybody that is going to find a way to succeed, it's him. He's one of the nicest and most loyal teammates you're ever going to have. He’s going to be a major, major star. He’s going to succeed as a Laker.'"

Kobe never left Lower Merion

As Young called it, Bryant swiftly emerged as one of the most notable NBA rising stars in the '90s. Before long, Kobe established himself as arguably the most skilled shooting guard of his era. Hence, NBA titles and a wide array of accolades followed suit.

Despite Black Mamba's worldwide fame, he regularly stayed in touch with his Lower Merion peeps. In fact, Young said it felt like Kobe never left.

“We always felt like he put us first,” Young said of Bryant. "I know how special those moments were for our players, for me and for Coach Downer. They were rare. He was a major public figure and knew you wouldn't get a ton of quality time. That's just the nature of being the greatest basketball player in the world. You're being pulled in a thousand directions. But when he was with us, he was 110 percent with us."

Today, Bryant is revered as an NBA legend, a Lakers icon, and a sports role model. However, hoops fans should also remember that Kobe is also a Lower Merion hero.

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