Chicago restaurateur remembers Kobe Bryant’s love of Italy during 2000 visit

Born an American; raised as a boy in Italy.

“I don’t think many people know how much Kobe Bryant loved Italy and identified with his childhood there,” said Chicago restaurateur Phil Stefani, who met the late NBA legend 20 years ago when the young hoops star attended a charity event at his 437 Rush St. eatery.

“All of Italy feels it — the loss,” he added.

Last Sunday, Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter accident in California, which also claimed the lives of seven others.

“‘Partecipo al tuo dolore,’ Italians are saying,” said Stefani. “It means, ‘I share in your sorrow.’”

Stefani claims Bryant, whom he met in 2000, “blew me away with how fluent he spoke Italian,” he said. “He was only 20 years old then. But wearing a suit even then like a businessman. This was no punk kid and he was in town to raise money to promote kids’ basketball in Italy via an event sponsored by Pasquale Caputo, a Chicago businessman who owns a cheese company,” said Stefani.

“I remember how his [Bryant] eyes lit up when he talked about growing up in Italy when he was 6 years old and how much he grew to love it,” he added. “He talked about life there until he was 13 or 14 years old because his dad, Joe (“Jellybean” Bryant), who had played for the NBA, had moved his family to Italy to play basketball.

“His father had once played in Pistoia near Tuscany, which is near my family home,” said Stefani.

“I can’t tell you how many texts and calls I’ve gotten from friends all over Italy mourning his death,” added Stefani. “The Italian basketball federation even declared a week of mourning for him.

“It’s pretty obvious he loved Italy so much his children all were given Italian names. (Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri). Italians are all about family.”

In an early ESPN interview, Bryant once talked about going to his hometown in Philadelphia to play against American kids while he was living in Italy.

In the interview, Bryant said, “I didn’t score a point the whole summer. Not one point, not a free throw, not a layup. Nothing, zero points the whole summer.

“My father came up to me afterwards and said, ‘Son, don’t worry about it. We are going to love you if you score zero or 50.”

Sounds like something Bryant might say to his mini “mambacita” Gianna, who was destined to carry on her father’s basketball legacy.

Like father, like son ... and like daughter.

Hoops galore . . .

Swoosh!

Sneed has learned distinguished filmmaker/hoops fan Spike Lee, a close friend of Kobe Bryant’s, plans to preach from the pulpit at St. Sabina Church on Feb. 16.

Lee, who interviewed Bryant about his early life in Italy in a short 2015 documentary titled “Italian Imports,” plans “to talk about his version of peace from our pulpit,” said the South Side church’s pastor Michael Pfleger.

Will he mention Bryant? Whadda you think?

• Up shot: Lee has a three-pointer in store: He’ll attend the NBA All-Star Weekend in town mid-month — then scoot over to St. Sabina’s annual “Chicago Peace Games” Feb. 15 — and hit the church’s pulpit the next day!
• Sure shot: The Sabina “unity” event, a basketball tournament composed of young men from troubled neighborhoods in hopes of encouraging anti-violence and brotherhood, will be attended by sports greats Englewood native/Detroit Pistons Derrick Rose; Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, All-Star Antoine Walker, Bears great Otis Wilson, L.A. Lakers Talen Horton-Tucker, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Vin Baker and retired NBA players Jim Chones and Theo Ratliff.

“For the first time we have four teams,” said Pfleger. “Two black teams from the South Side, a Puerto Rican team from Humboldt Park, and a Mexican team from Back of the Yards.”

Pssst!

Watch for Lee to introduce Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell at the end of the service. Russell also will address the congregation.

Harry & Meghan . . .

Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle — who seem to have exited the Royal enclosure — are now followed by 11.1 million users on their joint Instagram account named @sussexroyal — but has thus far only chosen to follow a single Instagram page.

• The kicker: The page, titled @goodnews_movement, has 367,000 followers — which is run by journalists; does not feature political news; and encourages followers to send only news pertaining to acts of kindness and good deeds by good dudes.

There ya go.

Sneedlings . . .

I spy: Reality TV’s James “Vanderpump Rules” Kennedy recently spotted celebrating his birthday with girlfriend Raquel Leviss at TAO. . . . Saturday’s birthdays: Harry Styles, 26; Lauren Conrad, 34; and Big Boi, 45. . . . Sunday’s birthdays: Shakira, 43; Christie Brinkley, 66; and Donald Driver, 45.