Paris (AFP)

He marks his first baskets when Marco van Basten aligns the goals with AC Milan: Kobe Bryant, who died on Sunday, has never hidden his passion for football, born in Italy where he grew up. And his death deeply moved the world of football, which lost a huge fan.

"We have no words to express how shocked we are." This tribute, published a few minutes after the announcement of the death of the basketball player in a helicopter accident, is that of the Milanese club, which associates its message with a photo of "Kobe", rossonero jersey on the shoulders, his legendary N. 24 flocked on the back and his smile as broad as mythical on the lips.

Far from being trivial: Milan, this is where the love that NBA legend wore for football was born very early, he, the basketball player from the United States where "soccer" did not that little space.

Because it was in Europe that the "Black Mamba" grew up, accompanying his father basketball player Joe at the end of his NBA career, when he attempted the European adventure in various clubs in Italy from 1984. Precisely three years before the arrival of van Basten in the Lombard club, where he won the Ballon d'Or a year later.

- "The rossonero blood" -

"I have rossonero blood, I am a pure rossonero", the NBA legend will say much later to an American Spanish-speaking sports television channel, re-admitting his respect for the Dutch center-center and its partners Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard.

It is therefore no coincidence that "Kobe", throughout his career but especially after it, from 2016, did not hesitate to travel the world to follow the biggest matches of world football.

In 2013, he followed the Brazil-Italy match of the Confederations Cup. "I played a lot of football when I was little and today I still use it in basketball, even if it's a different sport," he said in an interview with Fifa at this opportunity, ensuring that the passion for football "has no equal". Coming from a five-time NBA champion, prowling with crazy playoff atmospheres, the compliment weighs.

A year later, in Brazil for the World Cup, he claims that football is his "favorite sport". "Between the ages of six and fourteen, I played football every day," he says.

- Henry and Neymar have his respects -

No coincidence either if Thierry Henry, whom he meets for an NBA communication operation in 2016, finds himself amazed by the football knowledge of his illustrious peer. "You even have an Italian accent," laughs Henry, hearing Bryant list the Milan players of the late 1980s.

"It's a big name that I have in front of me," replied "Kobe". "Our style of play was comparable. The same + killer instinct +, the same aggressive mentality".

Neymar also had his favors, and "Kobe" did not fail to greet him during his visit to Paris in October 2017. The two stars are indeed friends, and when Bryant was invited by Fifa to indicate which player was endowed with the same character as him, it is towards the Brazilian crack that the basketball player made his choice. As for Lionel Messi? "He has an incredible ability to make the decision on any ball." Cristiano Ronaldo? "It is very spectacular. They are players who approach their sport as I do with basketball."

Reciprocal favors: in Lille Sunday evening, Neymar, the superstar of Paris SG, author of a double, celebrated his second achievement with a sad look, by forming with his fingers the N.24 of the former glory of the Lakers of Los Angeles. Tributes shared by the entire football community, inspired by this legendary N.24.

© 2020 AFP