DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Kobe Bryant’s former high school basketball coach, who currently lives in Delray Beach, is heading back to Philadelphia to participate in a special tribute planned at his alma mater.
Jeremy Treatment is a former assistant basketball coach of Lower Merion High School and spent several years working with Bryant on the varsity team.
Treatman recently moved to Delray Beach, but his roots are planted in Lower Merion, a Philadelphia suburb where Bryant went to high school.
In the wake of Bryant’s passing, the NBA legend is being remembered for demonstrating the strong qualities of a champion at a young age.
Bryant’s dedication to excellence, paired with his talents on the hardwood, quickly catapulted him into the NBA after high school.
Treatman says Bryant was a leader on and off the basketball court.
“My whole life was inspired by Kobe Bryant, by sitting next to him on the bench. He gave me confidence. I was the 30-year-old immature guy. He was the mature 17-year-old mature [basketball] player who knew what he wanted,” said Treatman.
Treatman was hosting the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic for girls high school basketball teams in the Philadelphia area when he learned the news about Bryant’s passing.
The helicopter crash in California claimed all nine lives on-board, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter. The former coach says he will continue to carry out Kobe Bryant’s vision of impacting the next generation.
For nearly 20 years, Treatman has shaped young student-athletes through the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic which was formed with inspiration that came from Kobe Bryant.
On Saturday, Lower Merion High School's varsity basketball teams will play two games in the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium. The teams will also pause to pay tribute to Bryant and the victims of the crash.
A limited number of tickets were available to the public, but quickly sold out on Friday. Kobe Bryant will also be honored during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
RELATED LINKS:
* Lower Merion High School — https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/about/newsroom/article/~post/ticket-information-for-lmhs-basketball-saturday-20200130
* Jeremy Treatman: https://playbyplayclassics.com/pages/about-jeremy-treatman
* Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic: https://playbyplayclassics.com/