Kobe Bryant’s spirit remains alive throughout the Philadelphia region, especially at Lower Merion High School where he first achieved national prominence, writes Gustavo Arellano for the Los Angeles Times.

Lower Merion’s gymnasium is named after Bryant, who donated over $400,000 for its construction in 2010. It features a wraparound graphic of Bryant and other student-athletes, next to the words “Attitude” and “Integrity.”

There is also a banner with his name, as well as the names of other members of the men’s basketball team’s 1,000-point club.

The lobby of the school is filled with tributes to Bryant. There is a replica of his signature above the court doors, a montage of the Black Mamba as a Lower Merion Ace and as an L.A. Laker, and a mosaic that shows the NBA legend as in his high school uniform mid-flight during a layup.

There is also a display case that proudly displays his sneakers and trophies from the school’s 1996 state title run, and the front page of a newspaper that shows Bryant and his teammates celebrating that championship.

Read more about Kobe Bryant’s spirit being alive and well in the Philadelphia area in the Los Angeles Times.

_____