City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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The legacy of Lower Merion’s 1996 boys’ basketball team is visible around the halls of the high school. On banners, in pictures, and even throwback jerseys in the stands on game nights.

It was cemented even further Saturday night at Kobe Bryant Gymnasium.

The 1996 team, which was led to a state championship by late NBA star Kobe Bryant, was inducted into the Lower Merion Basketball Hall of Fame during the 15th annual Scholastic Play-By-Play Kobe Bryant Classic. The event returned for the first time since Bryant’s death in 2020.

“We wanted to do something special,” said event director Jeremy Treatman, an assistant coach on the 1996 squad. “Let’s honor the ‘96 team was the original idea and me, Doug Young, and Gregg Downer said ‘Wait a minute why don’t we do the Hall of Fame now while we have the crowd?’”

The induction ceremony took place following Huntington Prep’s (of West Virginia) 73-70 win over Archbishop Wood in the first game of the event, which was followed by a Lower Merion-Methacton night cap. The Kobe Bryant Classic continues Sunday with five games at Widener University.

The 1996 Lower Merion team went 18-0 and captured the Central League title. The Aces went on to take down Chester in the District 1 title game before knocking off Erie Cathedral Prep in the PIAA Class 4A title game.

“I could talk all night about these kids and the sacrifices they made in order to be here,” said former Aces assistant coach Mike Egan during his induction speech.

Downer and Bryant’s cousin and best friend John Cox, a La Salle men’s basketball assistant, presented Mamba Mentality awards to student-athletes from all four schools who embody Bryant’s work ethic and competitiveness.

Those who received the award included Wood senior Jalil Bethea, Lower Merion senior John Mobley, Huntington Prep junior Darryn Peterson, and Methacton senior Alex Hermann.

Peterson, a 6-foot-6 wing considered one of the top juniors in the country, scored 31 points in the win over the Vikings and Bethea, who is ranked No. 7 in the class of 2024 and headed to Miami next year. Bethea scored 29.

“The hard work thing, it applies to all aspects of life; sports, education, the passion,” said Omar Hatcher, a starter on the 1996 team who is now a teacher and coach living in Overbrook. “Everything has to start with hard work and determination, and Kobe exemplified that.”

Anthony Bannister was a mentor for Bryant off the court in high school while working at the Jewish Community Center, where Bryant spent countless hours. He and Kevin Sanchez allowed Bryant to audition for their group “Cheizaw”. During halftime of the Huntington Prep-Archbishop Wood game Bannister performed a rap he made after Bryant’s death, highlighting some of the other sides of the basketball star.

“Kobe was a dope MC, if I play his music tonight, the roof would blow off,” Bannister said.

Hatcher said the 1996 team continues to stay in touch via Zoom calls and text chains, but Saturday night marked a rare moment for them all to get together.

“[Bryant’s] known for the message that you have to strive for greatness, no mediocrity,” Treatman said. “That’s why people were so upset because this was a guy who strived for greatness and he got there, and I think he was spewing that message all over the world.”