As the world mourns the death of Kobe Bryant, weโre all learning a bit more about him as a basketball player, family man, and philanthropist. Most of us are familiar with him as a basketball player, where he inspired a generation of players from around the world with his insatiable competitive spirit and superb skills. However, few of us were familiar with him off the court, where his other passions focused on his family and helping others to achieve their dreams.
Kobe Bryantโs Five Favorite Places to Vacation With His Family
From an early age, Kobe Bryant was well-traveled. He was born in Philadelphia but moved to Rieta, Italy at the age of six when his father transitioned from the NBA to playing basketball in the European league. During these seven years, the Bryantโs moved several times throughout Italy, living in the cities of Reggio Calabria, Pistoia, and Reggio Emilia. It was during this timeframe that Kobe learned to speak fluent Italian and Spanish.
Considering himself a realistic perfectionist, Bryant personally struggled with finding a balance between his career and being a family man, like most successful people, as he described in his 2018 book The Mamba Mentality. He wrote, โThereโs a fine balance between obsessing about your craft and being there for your family. Itโs akin to walking a tightrope. Your legs are shaky and youโre trying to find your center. Whenever you lean too far in one direction, you correct your course and end up over-leaning the other direction โฆ thatโs the dance.โ
At the end of the day, thereโs little doubt that Bryantโs family was the most important thing in his life. During his downtime, he enjoyed taking family vacations and sharing the world with his wife Vanessa, and their children. Here are Kobe Bryantโs five favorite places to vacation with his family.
- Disneyland
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Italy
- France
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia
1. Disneyland
Bryant recently spoke about his love for Disneyland and his favorite ride, โI enjoy Soarinโ Over California.โ Bryant recently joined his family to Disneyโs California adventure where he stated, โYou see that big Ferris wheel they have? We didnโt realize how big the thing was, so we took our kids on that thing โฆ we thought child services was gonna be waiting for us when we got off!โ
The couple recently celebrated their anniversary at the theme park where they met 20 years ago.
If youโre looking for two cheap places to eat around SoCal that Kobe enjoyed visiting, here are two of his favorite restaurants:
2. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Kobe celebrated his 40th birthday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. His family surprised him with a trip to the epic beach destination.
3. Italy
Kobe Bryantโs dream of becoming a professional basketball player began during his time in Italy. During a 2016 interview, Bryant said, โMy story began in this town.โ
โWhy am I so attached to Reggio? Because I have so many special memories,โ he said during a visit. โAs we were getting here, I was [just saying], Would you have ever thought that one of the NBAโs best players could have grown up here? Thereโs nothing farther from Los Angeles. It means that every dream is achievable.โ Kobe had a special connection with the country and the people which is why he loved visiting the country on vacation.
4. France
After a rough 2013-14 season, the Bryantโs immediately flew off to France to unwind and celebrate the coupleโs 13th wedding anniversary.
5. Bora Bora
Life doesnโt get much better than a family vacation to Bora Bora. Below is the cutest picture of Kobe and his daughter
Whether it was his love for his family, basketball, or helping others, itโs fair to say that we can all learn a lot from the way that Kobe Bryant lived his life. When reflecting on his own world he stated,ย โItโs the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember youโor donโt. So donโt take it lightly.โ