Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant attended a soccer game in Italy while his father played professional basketball in Italy
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The world of basketball feels incomplete without Kobe Bryant. The tragic helicopter crash in 2020 robbed the world of a great man. His absence has left a void in the basketball community that will never be filled again.
A loyal Laker throughout his career, Bean’s first love was basketball. He dedicated his life to the sport. In fact, he, along with his daughter, was heading to a basketball game before the crash.
For a man to love something to such an extent is not only rare but also holy. Almost to the point where the Black Mamba perhaps considered playing as his own way of praying.
He was an absolute beast on the court with no regard for his opponents. the ruthlessness he oozed was enough to shake the rival teams’ to their court. Yet, he always acknowledged and respected the youngsters and talented rivals.
For him, the sport was perhaps even more important than legacy. Post his career, he had become a mentor to many up-and-coming stars. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Devin Booker all revealed how Kobe had helped them in some way or the other.
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Kobe Bryant who was an AC Milan fan attended a live game in Italy as a kid
But before it all began, before his exceptional career in NBA, even before his success in high school, Kobe was just a little kid living in Italy.
Bryant’s father, who started his pro career with the Philadelphia 76ers back in 1975. He played 8 seasons in the NBA and then moved to Europe.
Joe continued to play professionally in Italy and France. So, Bryant spent almost 8 years in Italy and became fluent in the language and culture.
He was an ardent AC Milan fan throughout his life. A rare photograph showed a young Bryant attending a live soccer game in Italy along with his father.
In Italy, basketball isn’t the biggest sport. Actually, nothing compares to the charm of European Football aka Soccer. For Kobe, learning the local culture and language also meant an introduction to the sport.
He fell in love with it. In fact, Bean even played soccer as a kid. During the 2014 World Cup, Bryant in an interview revealed that Soccer is his favorite sport.
Kobe: “I am actually [a huge fan]. I grew up in Italy. From the age from six to 14 I played soccer every day. It is actually my favorite sport.”
He also once revealed that he started playing as a goalkeeper because of his long reach and quickness. Maybe in some alternate world, he continued football and gained infinite success as a goalkeeper.
