The Seaholm varsity baseball team received an ESPN-like surprise at their March 25th practice.
While inclement weather moved practice indoors, spirits were quickly lifted as one player happened to peer around the maroon curtain that divides the gym and spot a celebrity intruder.
“We usually get the whole gym for practices so I had to check out what was taking up our space,” said junior first basemen Kyle Eick.
The intruder happened to be none other than NBA MVP Candidate Kobe Bryant, whose Lakers were in town to play the Detroit Pistons.
The official hotel for NBA teams visiting Detroit is Birmingham’s Townsend, and Seaholm houses the closest basketball facility to the hotel.
As Bryant strolled towards the athletic office he received praise like none other from the team.
The predictable one-liners like “Kobe you the man!” as well as the occasional “Kobe you’re my boy!” filled the gym while Bryant raised his right hand and smiled.
As the team gathered about a hundred feet outside of the athletic office in awe of their superstar guest, Varsity Baseball Head Coach Don Watchowski walked out with Bryant following close behind. He confidently paced towards the team who couldn’t believe their eyes.
“We got any Laker fans here?” asked Bryant.
About half the team raised their hand as if they had been lifelong followers of the team. Bryant just smirked and shook his head. After asking about their upcoming season and wishing them best of luck in 2009, Kobe Bryant walked to his end of the gym to practice.
“He’s a real cool guy,” said senior pitcher Tyler Haggerson. “It was nice for him to take time out and talk with us a bit. I wouldn’t have expected something like that from him.”
Bryant is not the only NBA star to be recently spotted at Seaholm. Last year, the San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tuned up in the Seaholm gym.
