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Lower Merion Alumni Chip in to Continue a Kobe Bryant Basketball Tradition

By Kyle Pagan

Published: Mar 14th, 2022 · 10:30 AM EDT

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A little feel-good story to wake up to on a Monday morning. Alumni from the Lower Merion basketball team stepped up to outfit with shoes the first Aces team to make the state playoffs since Kobe Bryant’s death:

Kobe Bryant started a fun tradition at LM by gifting a pair of Kobe’s to each player on teams that made the state playoffs. This was the first year that an LM team made it since he passed.

Nike didn’t honor it, but @aceshoops alums were determined to keep the tradition alive. pic.twitter.com/FXHjjNOlgC

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) March 12, 2022

Now if you watch the video, you’re probably thinking those are Pumas, and you’re correct. First, Nike didn’t continue the tradition, and second, now they aren’t playing in Kobes? What gives? Turns out, with Kobe’s Nike contract expiring last April, the shoe giant isn’t making Kobes at the moment. Plus, according to Dumas, the guys decided to work with Puma because of Kobe’s relationship with street basketball legend God Shammgod:

The players will be wearing Pumas for Sunday’s state playoff game.

The alums who chipped in to keep the tradition alive shifted to work with Puma because of Kobe’s relationship with God Shammgod. #MambaMentality

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) March 12, 2022

Shout out to the Lower Merion alumni for keeping an awesome tradition alive, along with Kobe’s legacy. Lower Merion beat Abington 63-50 Sunday night and will play Scranton on Wednesday in the state quarterfinals.