Remembering Kobe Bryant

The following is my story in the February 6, 2020 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link about Kobe Bryant, in which I present a unique perspective of Kobe offered by a high school classmate and friend:

Remembering Kobe Bryant

From L - R: Singer and actress Brandy Norwood, Kobe Bryant and Audrey Gornish during their senior year in high school.

The shockwaves from the recent death of Kobe Bryant, a native Philadelphian, reverberated throughout the United States and around the world, but there is no doubt that the tragic helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others, rattled the Lower Merion community.

Kobe, who grew up on Remington Road in Wynnewood, was a superstar at Lower Merion High School. As a senior in 1996, Kobe led the Lower Merion Aces to a state championship title. Along the way, he shattered the Southeastern Pennsylvania high school scoring record that had been held by none other than NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. When Kobe made the jump from Lower Merion High School directly to the NBA, it further cemented his status as a local luminary.

For Audrey Gornish, a fourth generation member of Philadelphia’s Jewish community who has children at Kohelet Yeshiva High School, Kohelet Yeshiva Middle School and Perelman Jewish Day School, Kobe Bryant was much more than a basketball icon.

Gornish first met Kobe when they were both students at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. Kobe was only there for a short period of time because his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, moved his family to Italy so he could play basketball overseas.

When the Bryant family returned to Lower Merion, Kobe, who Gornish recalls had become fluent in Italian, spent four years at Lower Merion High School and their friendship continued.

According to Gornish, Kobe played basketball in Lower Merion after returning from Italy, but as a high school freshman he had not yet blossomed into the star player he ultimately would become. What stood out to Gornish about Kobe was his incredible work ethic and determination, and the fact that he always worked really hard to keep improving. She remembers fondly how Kobe would play basketball outside his house and keep repositioning the garbage cans and pretend that they were defensive players. “He was always playing ball and watching videos about playing ball,” she said.

Gornish, who was in Math and English classes with Kobe throughout their four years of high school, also remarked how he stood out in the classroom and in the school in general. “Kobe was a very bright light – always happy and always smiling – and he looked like he never had a bad day,” Gornish said. “He was respectful and worked hard, and he was a model student who exuded derech eretz. He was a real mensch who got along well with anyone – he was everyone’s friend.”

credit: Lisa Stein

Kobe had strong connections to the local Philadelphia Jewish community. Gornish noted that Kobe, who had many Jewish friends, spent a tremendous amount of time playing basketball at the Kaiserman Jewish Community Center in Wynnewood, where his father worked in the fitness center. Kobe’s father also served as the girls basketball coach at Akiba Hebrew Academy in the early 1990s. Gornish commented that when he was playing ball at the JCC, Kobe would happily play with anyone who wanted to play with him. She also noted that Kobe did not get his driver’s license until his senior year of high school, and he therefore had to walk to the JCC on most days.

Because Gornish’s family did not live too far from the Bryant family, her mother would often give Kobe a ride home from basketball practice. After Kobe bought a shiny black Land Rover following an endorsement deal during his senior year, Gornish joked with him and told him “you really owe me a lot of rides.”

credit: Lisa Stein

credit: Lisa Stein

Gornish remembered fondly how Kobe used to inspire her and encourage her to keep playing basketball at Lower Merion High School. Kobe affectionately gave Gornish, who was “short and speedy” as a high school basketball player, a nickname. “He called me ‘Diesel,’” she said as she spoke about the motivation that Kobe provided to her. “He was a powerhouse of positivity and one of the best people I got to grow up with.”

Kobe’s gregarious personality mirrored that of his parents, Joe and Pam. “Kobe had that megawatt smile and he was very kind and very sincere,” Gornish said. “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” She noted that Kobe’s two older sisters were also so nice and polite, and that they too were great ball players.

credit Lisa Stein

credit: Lisa Stein

“I want to remember Kobe as the 18-year-old who was walking down the hall with a smile for everyone,” said Gornish. “He didn’t suddenly become different. He already knew he was going to the NBA, but he still showed up to class and took finals, just like the rest of us. He didn’t steal the show and he didn’t make anyone else feel less than him. He had such humility.”

“He was a superstar and he had an amazing attitude towards winning and trying,” she added. “The guy didn’t have a mean bone in his body and he was always looking to do something good for someone else. Even when he wasn’t playing his best, he never had a temper.”

“Kobe was just one of those people that was so wonderful, you always wished them the very best. I was very proud to know him. He was a star person and an absolute mensch.”