There are cities across the United States that are remembering Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on the first-year anniversary of their tragic deaths, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Besides Philadelphia and Los Angeles, Bryant and his daughter Gianna will be honored with a plaza in an Italian town that he lived in as a kid, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
A town named Reggio Emilia in Italy, where Bryant lived when his father Joe played basketball in Italy, will be unveiling a plaza called “Largo Kobe and Gianna Bryant” on Tuesday. Emanuele Maccaferri, the vice president of the Sports Foundation in Reggio Emilia shared his interactions with Bryant.
“The city of Reggio Emilia and its citizens loved, first Joe, and then Kobe Bryant, the child who, once he returned to America, always remembered Reggio with love,” Emanuele Maccaferri, the vice president of the Sport Foundation of Reggio Emilia, told ESPN. “On this sad day we want to remember that happy child who left wonderful memories in so many people of Reggio Emilia.”
Along with naming the plaza after Kobe and Gianna, the people of Reggio Emilia will be lighting parts of the city up with purple and gold colors to remember Bryant's time with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the same time, the event will have Nicolo Melli — a forward for the New Orleans Pelicans and a native of Reggio Emilia — as a special guest.
During his NBA career, Bryant would sometimes showcase his ability to speak Italian in postgame press conferences. Despite spending most of his life in the United States, Bryant left an everlasting impact on the people of Reggio Emilia.
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