The coach remembers Bryant's childhood in Italy: "They made fun of him at his expense"

Bryant spoke fluent Italian after his time in Italy, where he regularly coached basketball and had high expectations for the future, something his teammates giggled about.

"When Kobe told him to play in the NBA, his teammates made fun of him at his expense, but he did so only a few years later," says coach Menozzi, remembering the then ten-year-old who played in San Vincenzo's school team in Reggio Emilia.

When Bryant moved back to the United States, part of his heart remained in Italy and it burdened him to have to leave so many good friends across the Atlantic.

- It's so shocking that he passed away and so unexpectedly in that way. You can't believe that about a man of his age (41) and especially not when it came to him, Menozzi thinks.