Reggiana coach recalls Kobe Bryant's connection with Reggio Emilia / News - Basketnews.com

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Current Pallacanestro Reggiana coach Massimiliano Menetti remembered Kobe Bryant's relationship with Reggio, a place where the late NBA superstar began to show his passion for the game of basketball.

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"Kobe's love for Reggio was linked to the values ​​of our territory: we are ambitious but down to earth. We are welcoming with warmth but without intrusiveness. Throughout his returns to the city, he could walk along Reggio or have a coffee, without any problems. Maybe some guy would approach him to take a selfie," Menetti told SportWeek.

As stated by the 49-year-old Italian specialist, Reggio Emilia is a whole different place than other cities.

"Our land has a peasant soul. And our society has a vision that goes beyond today. We know how to sow, cultivate, and have patience. They say that Reggio is provincial, instead, it is ambitious but with those values ​​that Kobe also liked."

When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball.

After two years, they first moved to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia. Kobe became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian.

Bryant was especially fond of Reggio Emilia, which he considered a loving place and where some of his best childhood memories were made.

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