(CNN) Basketball legend Kobe Bryant believes more education is needed to tackle the scourge of racism in soccer.
The 41-year-old, a five-time NBA champion, lived in Italy from the age of six to 13 while his father played professional basketball.
He developed a love of soccer there, but also witnessed racism first hand before moving back to the United States where he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"It's always education and understanding that racism is a thing that's been a part of our culture for a while," Bryant told CNN's Andy Scholes at a Major League Soccer event in California.
"Even though now we've come such a long way but there's still so much to be done and I think education is always the most important thing."
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There have been a number of high-profile incidents of racism in football in recent times, notably in Italy, and not just limited to fan behavior at games.
In December, anti-racism artwork commissioned by Serie A was widely condemned as racist for its use of monkeys. In the same month, the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport received significant backlash for its "Black Friday" headline above a picture of black players Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku.
"When I was growing up in Italy, I've obviously witnessed it first-hand going to certain soccer matches and things of that nature," added Bryant.
"My parents have taught me and educated me on how to deal with those sorts of things."
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Bryant said the approach of a number of high-profile sports stars has contributed to how he handles racism.
"I think speaking up and taking a stand, a significant stand [is important]," he added.
"Looking at various muses that have handled things extremely well, from Jackie Robinson to Bill Russell and so forth and so on, so I think education is very important."