Dear Kobe, have a look at this picture from 1986. There is no caption but if we were to write the perfect one, it would be: 'What's incredible is not the realisation of a dream but looking back at how that dream became reality'. The picture shows an eight-year old boy, proud to wear the jersey with the words Viola Reggio Calabria. Unbeknownst back then, he was destined to great things. That eight-year-old boy was you, Kobe. Behind him are the city's own 'Riace warriors,' Kim Hughes and Joe Bryant.

Jellybean Bryant is one of the legends of the game and a hero to the Viola. He still holds the record for the most points scored in one game – 69 to be precise. These two champions, Hughes and Bryant, left an indelible mark in the history of this small seaside town, in the deepest South of Italy. They were followed by many others like Volkov, Garrett, Sconochini, Ginobili, Delfino. The magical beauty of the Viola family is represented by that child in the picture. Even as a boy you had ants in your pants and you captured the admiration and affection of the Viola after each game in the sport center Palasport Botteghelle.

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Source: http://www.sportando.com/