FCBARCELONA.CAT

14.06.2007 13:11

Kobe Bryant’s passion for Barça

Jordi Clos

Kobe Bryant is well-known for delighting basketball fans around the world with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. But ever since his childhood in Italy, he’s been a big soccer fan and there’s nothing he likes better than watching Barça.

Basketball star Kobe Bryant was a surprise visitor at Thursday morning’s training session in the Miniestadi and told us: “I’ve here to enjoy my favourite football team. It’s a privilege to be able to be present at a Barça training session”. The Los Angeles Lakers guard is in Barcelona for a few days on holiday together with Winterthur Barça player, Shammond Williams.

A big soccer fan

Kobe Bryant’s liking for football, or soccer as they say in the USA, dates back to his childhood in Italy, where his father played basketball. He spent eight years there and was a great admirer of Sacchi’s AC Milan – which led to plenty of friendly rivalry with his father who was a follower of Inter: “My favourite player was Frank Rijkaard, a really classy midfielder”. It was a great disappointed to the young Kobe that, on returning to the USA, he was unable to indulge his passion for football.

A second encounter

T his is the second time that the three-time NBA champion has met up with the Barça squad. The first time was last August when Kobe coincided with the squad at a promotional event in Hollywood Boulevard during Barça’s tour of America.