AC Milan to honour Kobe Bryant by wearing black armbands despite Serie A opposition

Serie A club AC Milan are set to honour late basketball legend Kobe Bryant by wearing black armbands in their Coppa Italia clash against Torino. Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter Gianna were among the nine victims involved in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The Serie A governing body reportedly rejected AC Milan’s request. However, the Italian giants are set to sport the armbands regardless of it.

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AC Milan to wear black armbands in a Kobe Bryant tribute

AC Milan wanted to pay their tributes to the NBA legend who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The Lega Calcio denied AC Milan's request. However, a report on Goal.com claims that the Serie A giants AC Milan plan to wear black armbands regardless of their approval. Kobe Bryant spent seven years of his childhood in Italy and was a huge admirer of AC Milan. Bryant was a huge fan of Serie A legend Marco Van Basten. He also liked AC Milan legends Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi.

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Kobe Bryant tribute: NBA star's tryst with Italy

Kobe Bryant became a five-time NBA champion during his 20 years at the Los Angeles Lakers. He learnt his trade in Italy before shifting base to America when six years old. Italian basketball side Pallacanestro Reggiano devoted a post on their Facebook page for Kobe Bryant. After moving to Italy, Bryant’s father Joe played for the team for two seasons. Kobe featured on their youth team. 

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