Kobe Bryant has won 5 NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"It would be natural for me to go do it,†Bryant told Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, when asked if he'd consider playing a season in Europe. “It wouldn't be a stretch at all. I grew up here†(Bryant, of course, is at the London Olympics with Team USA).
Bryant’s father, Joe, played professionally in Italy, so Bryant spent several years of his childhood on the sunny peninsula. He speaks fluent Italian and Spanish.
Bryant, Wojnarowski writes, is “a huge star in Europe†and a “transcendent icon overseas.†He’d surely have Nike’s support if he made such a move.
Bryant said he’d consider several countries should he decide to play abroad someday.
“You'd have to look at the market and what's going on in terms of the level of basketball being played," Bryant said, per Yahoo! "I understand there's a high level of competitive basketball in Turkey now. They might have the best league in Europe. Spain has obviously been one of the top leagues for a long time.
"And Italy is a place that's dear in my heart, I grew up there, but the level is not where it used to be. When I was growing up over there, that was the best league in Europe."
Bryant was among several NBA players negotiating to play in Europe during the lockout. A deal between Bryant and Virtus Bologna appeared close on several occasions.
Wojnarowski also asked Bryant about potentially buying a European basketball team.
"I'd have to make that a decision to make it a full-time thing," said Bryant, who once owned a share of Olympia Milano. "If this is something that I decided I wanted to pursue, I'm not going to buy it and just let somebody else run it. If I'm going to make the investment, I'm going to run it. I'm going to know the ins-and-outs of the business and how to run it the right way."
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