Kobe Bryant says FC Barcelona are an inspiration – NBA Update
Kobe Bryant sat down with reporters recently to speak highly about the Spanish football club F.C. Barcelona. Kobe is an ardent football fan and has previously also given positive remarks about the current Spanish champions.
Barcelona are currently on top of the football world, having won the Spanish La Liga as well as the UEFA Champions League last season. The club has been on a pre-season tour of the United States and recently squared up against
English champions Manchester United, losing 2-1.
Kobe Bryant was present at the match, rooting for Barcelona. He grew up in Italy, where his father played basketball and is therefore familiar with the game of basketball. As a kid, he supported A.C. Milan, but says he always liked
to follow Barcelona,
"Growing up in Italy, I’ve always been a huge soccer fan, so it’s very easy for me to identify with the sport,” Bryant said. “When I first saw Barça play, they play with so much creativity, passion and enthusiasm; it was so easy
to follow it. They inspired me and the way I play.”
Barcelona are one of the most famous sporting franchises in the world and have seen unprecedented success in the last few years. The highlight are the 2 UEFA Champions League titles, considered the top prize in club football, they
have won in just three years. They boast global stars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, David Villa and Andres Iniesta in their ranks.
Bryant, himself a global icon, lavished praise on the Spanish side and even met with Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol and midfielder Sergio Basquets.
Kobe has been associated with the Spanish side before as well. He has often gone on holiday in the city of Barcelona. The Los Angeles Lakers star shooting guard was also in the limelight when the European Champions visited the
United States back in 2006, under then coach and football hero Frank Rijkaard.
Rijkaard holds a special place for Bryant. He was a star player for the A.C. Milan side of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, which dominated Italian and European football. For a young Kobe Bryant growing up in Italy, Rijkaard was
a super star and the player said that it was an honour, when he finally got to meet him back in 2006.
“I was on vacation in Barcelona and they were practicing and I was fortunate to go down to practice when Frank Rijkaard was coach. I grew up watching him and I was a big AC Milan fan [Bryant’s father played basketball in Italy].
I went to watch practice and watched [Barcelona] train, which is cooler than the watching a match because you actually see things develop.”
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