The year 1984 is etched in the memories of NBA fans because of the Chicago Bulls drafting Michael Jordan as the third overall pick. However, that same year marked a drastic change in the life of Jordan’s biggest fan. In 1984, Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant uprooted his family from America and moved to Italy to play professional basketball for the Italian club Sebastiani Rieti. Kobe Bryant was six years old at the time. Growing up as a black kid in a small Italian town was a unique experience for him. In fact, a young Kobe thoroughly enjoyed his time in the European country, having the best time of his life watching his dad play live. However, Kobe was hit with a massive cultural shock at the age of 13 when the Bryant family returned to America after Joe Bryant’s retirement.
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During his stay in Italy, Bryant developed an interest for soccer. However, he soon shifted his attention to basketball, after attending his father’s games on Sundays. A young Kobe would clean the sweat off the floor in between plays and during the half-time interval, put on a basketball show for the crowd, mimicking his father’s moves and shooting tough jumpers. But all that changed after the Bryants returned to Philadelphia after eight years in Italy. A teenager Kobe found it very difficult to bridge the cultural gap between him and his peers in school. This affected his social life significantly in high school. However, the future Hall of Famer found solace in basketball.
A young Kobe revealed how he was not invited to parties and dribbled himself to sleep
An old clip of a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant detailing how his awkward social life shaped his basketball career recently resurfaced on Instagram. Kobe’s cultural differences with his peers at school alienated him from social situations. In retrospect, Kobe admitted that his social isolation helped him a lot because he embraced basketball instead:
“It was very hard getting adjusted simply because I had a lot of trouble understanding English and the slang. But I think what I had in common with some of my other classmates was basketball. And unfortunately, because of a lack of communication with my peers, I wasn’t invited to parties or friendly gatherings on weekends. So on Fridays and Saturdays, I would go in my rec room with my basketball and basically dribble myself to sleep.”
“And I think that is the best thing that could have ever happened to me, because during those lonely hours in the rec room, I discovered the hunger, the motivation, and the desire to be the best possible basketball player that I could be,” he added.
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Kobe further revealed that he was even separated from his sisters because they went to high school and he had to go to middle school. However, the lonely hours in the gym unleashed the Mamba mentality in him. Those long hours dribbling the basketball moulded the Lakers legend millions admire and idolize across the world.
The legacy of Kobe Bryant
Eventually, Kobe grew more familiar with the culture and overcame his social inadequacies. However, the teenage hooper still maintained a strict balance between his work and social life, working harder than ever.
“So, if there was a school party going on or something like that, I’d play basketball for a few hours…And then, I’d go to the party and I show up and I’d have a good time, have fun. And I’ll be up at 5:00 in the morning, you know, working,” Kobe once said.
However, the partying would take a back seat after Kobe’s NBA draft. The Mamba’s tendency to drain himself with work is still the source of some of the most enduring NBA stories.
