“I watched Milan play when I was a kid.”
Many people know Kobe Bryant for his exceptional basketball skills and devotion to the game. But he was much more than that. Something that not everyone knows, is that Kobe was also a soccer fan. In 1984, Kobe’s father moved the Bryant family from the US to Italy to play in the Italian league. Kobe spent most of his youth there and developed a love for both basketball and soccer. In Italy, he played basketball with men much older than him, and at the same time, he also played soccer.
The Bryant family lived in Reggio Calabria, then moved to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia. Although he was 151 km away from Milan, his favorite was AC Milan. Some of his favorite Milan players were; Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Marco Van Basten, and Paolo Maldini. In more recent interviews, he admitted that Mario Balotelli was his favorite player in recent times. He even expressed his desire that the then 22-year-old Mario would become a great soccer player. Kobe also mentioned keeping a Milar shirt and scarf in his Lakers locker room.
A few years back, he visited Milanello when he was recovering from an Achilles injury, and said the following; “It’s an honor for me to be here. I have been a big fan of Milan since I was a kid and it was always a dream of mine to come to Milanello.” (via Daily Milan)
Riposare in pace Black Mamba 🐍
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