- Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday.
- Before becoming an NBA legend, Bryant grew up in Italy, where his father was a professional basketball player.
- On Monday, childhood friend Michele Rotella revisited the basketball court in the town of Cireglio where the two used to play together.
- Tributes for Bryant have poured in throughout Italy and around the world.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
It may surprise some fans to learn that Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy, and this week one of his childhood friends revisited the court he played on before growing up to become an NBA legend.
Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday.
A series of emotional photos show childhood friend Michele Rotella paying tribute to Bryant in Cireglio, northeast of Florence, on Monday.
Bryant's father, former NBA player Joe Bryant, played professionally in Italy, and a young Kobe moved around with him as he played for different teams in the country.
From 1987 to 1989, the family lived in the small town of Cireglio. Even after he became an NBA superstar and global celebrity, Kobe Bryant came back to show his daughters where he grew up.
"One morning at 7 a.m., the doorbell rang and I saw Kobe," childhood friend Alessia Pierattini, 53, told Reuters while describing Bryant's visit in the early 2010s.
"When we left the house after an hour together, people stopped their cars because they wanted to see him. He was open to everybody and took photos in the streets (with them)."
Pierattini also said Bryant had told her he wanted his daughters to live in Italy.
She said he told her: "I want them to experience what I felt as a child, a reality that does not exist in America."
"We always kept two eyes on the ball and two eyes on him," explained Antonio Olivieri, one of Joe Bryant's teammates in the town of Rieti, about 50 miles from Rome.
"Kobe was a kid when he was here in Rieti. I remember Joe always taking him to the gym ... he used to climb into the hoops while we were playing. When someone fell on the ground, he came onto the court with a mop to clean up."
Giuseppe Cattani, president of Rieti's basketball team and a former teammate of Joe Bryant, said the loss of Kobe Bryant was enormous.
"It's like we've lost our superhero,'' Cattani told the Associated Press. "He was an icon to us, like Spider-Man or Superman. One of these superheroes who can't die. On the basketball court, they're immortal."
Ci hai fatto sognare, emozionare ma soprattutto innamorare. A Rieti hai cominciato a far piangere i tuoi piccoli primi avversari. Siamo orgogliosi di essere stati i primi a vederti calcare i campi.Non ti dimenticheremo mai Kobe♥️#kobebryant #blackmanba #basket #Rieti #npc #NBA pic.twitter.com/99UsLYQ5hV
— NPC Rieti (@npcrieti) January 26, 2020
Bryant also spent two years in Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy.
"I grew up here. I used to ride my bike here," he said in an interview with BaskeTime magazine in 2016.
"There were all my friends, I have many memories, it's special."
The NBA legend played on several youth basketball teams in Italy, many of which have paid tribute since he died.
The Reggio Emilia Pallacanestro Reggiana team posted images of Bryant's time with them on Twitter, with the caption "Forever one of us."
Per sempre uno di noi ❤️ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/MaPrV7Jjpf
— Pall. Reggiana (@PallacReggiana) January 26, 2020
Bryant spoke fluent Italian. The names of his daughters - Gianna Maria-Onore, Natalia Diamante, Bianka Bella, and Capri - also reflect his Italian roots.
The cause of the crash that killed Bryant, Gianna, and seven others is under investigation.
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