Italian Plaza Renamed to Honor Kobe, Gianna Bryant

The city of Reggio Emilia will honor Bryant, who lived there for several years during his childhood.

Italian city Reggio Emilia will rename a plaza after Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. 

Reggio Emilia is located about an hour east of Bologna in northern Italy. The city will unveil the "Largo Kobe and Gianna Bryant" on Tuesday, the first anniversary of their tragic deaths. 

Bryant lived in Reggio Emilia for several years during his childhood. His father, Joe Bryant, played for Reggio's professional team, the Cantine Riunite.

"The city of Reggio Emilia and its citizens loved, first Joe, and then Kobe Bryant, the child who, once he returned to America, always remembered Reggio with love," Emanuele Maccaferri, the vice president of the Sport Foundation of Reggio Emilia, told McMenamin. "On this sad day we want to remember that happy child who left wonderful memories in so many people of Reggio Emilia."

A plaque and a new Ginkgo biloba tree will be planted in the Bryants' honor, per McMenamin. 

There will be a streamed event on Tuesday night, where parts of the city will reportedly be lit up in Lakers' purple and gold. Pelicans forward and Reggio Emilia native Nicolò Melli is expected to be featured in Tuesday's ceremony. 

Bryant moved to Philadelphia from Italy when he was 13. He then played high school basketball at Lower Merion High School before beginning one of the most illustrious careers in NBA history.