Kobe Bryant spent eight years of his childhood in Italy. His family moved there when he was six, after his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, continued his professional basketball career in the Italian leagues.
The Bryant family lived in several Italian cities, including Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Pistoia, and Reggio Emilia. Kobe returned to the United States at about age 13, when the family settled near Philadelphia and he began the high-school career that made him a national basketball prospect.
Italy shaped more than his address. Bryant learned to speak fluent Italian, developed a love of soccer, and began taking basketball seriously while watching and practicing around his father’s teams. He later credited the European style and fundamentals he absorbed there as important influences on his game.
Some biographies describe the period as roughly seven years, from ages six to 13, while other accounts call it eight years. That difference comes from rounding and from whether the years are counted inclusively. The country itself is not in dispute: Italy was a formative part of Bryant’s childhood before his 20-season Lakers career.