It’s no secret Kobe Bryant is a big fan of international soccer. Kobe developed a love for the sport while growing up in Italy and has maintained that passion over the years.
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As Kobe prepares for life after basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers star is apparently ready to invest in an Italian club, via Football Italia:
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport today, Bryant is preparing to invest in Serie B side Bologna.
The club is in advanced negotiations for a buy-out from American lawyer Joe Tacopina, who had previously been linked with Roma.
During the 2014 World Cup, Kobe made multiple visits to Brazil to attend games and support his favorite national teams. Kobe was openly rooting for the United States, Brazil and Italy while taking in the games in June and July.
Kobe’s current contract with the Lakers has the future Hall of Famer set to play two more seasons with the team. Although Kobe has left the door open to possibly continue playing after the 2015-16 NBA season, the consensus seems to be that he’ll retire after his 20th year in the league.
Along with potentially investing in AC Bologna, Kobe has been setting up business ventures for life after basketball over the past few months. Kobe has been seeking advice from highly successful people like Oprah, Arianna Huffington and Nike’s Mark Parker before making the transition.
The Lakers superstar bought an office in Newport Beach over the summer for his company Kobe Inc. and will likely remain a busy man once his basketball career comes to an end.
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