Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020, was a good friend of Leo Messi.
Back in 2010, the NBA great revealed that he was keeping Leo's autographed photo in his locker.
"He is the best player in the world and continues to get better. The match he had last week was phenomenal. He is a ball of energy and is very creative, his game knows no boundaries," Kobe told the media back then.
"He is also very tough as he competes, plays hard to get the ball and to get it back," he added.
Messi and Bryant's arguably most memorable moment is starring in the Turkish Airlines commercial – the one that is known as one of the greatest adverts of the past decade.
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Ronaldinho told Kobe Bryant boldest possible prediction about 18-year-old Leo Messi
In July 2017, the late NBA great Kobe Bryant revealed what Ronaldinho told him about Barca's rising star named Leo Messi around a decade before.
Bryant told ESPN: "I think Messi must have been 18 at the time, 17 maybe. Ronaldinho called him over and said, 'Kobe, I want you to meet the player who is going to be the greatest player who ever lived.'"
Messi scored his debut Barca goal exactly in May 2005. During these 15 years, the Argentine has netted 641 goals in 745 matches as a Blaugrana, winning 34 trophies.
'Kobe Bryant, forever in our hearts': Barcelona pay heartfelt tribute to late star
Barcelona publish an official video tribute to late Kobe Bryant, the famous basketball player and Barca's long-time fan.
The club add a tearful caption: "The news of Kobe Bryant’s passing has come as a huge shock to everyone connected to FC Barcelona. Bryant, one of the greatest players ever to grace the game of basketball, was deeply admired by all, but the player was also an admirer of the football team. He was a frequent visitor to the club when in Europe or when the football team was on tour in the US. He will be greatly missed."
Other Barca's players, including Leo Messi, published various messages on their social networks to honour the legend.
World-famous basketball player Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. His daughter Gianna and seven more were on board. All the passengers are confirmed deceased by Los Angeles County Police.
The chief reason for the accident is believed to be low visibility. LA Police even grounded its helicopters on Sunday morning as the weather conditions did not meet the minimum standards for flying. It was extremely foggy.
Bryant was a well-documented Barcelona fan. He often paid visits to the club's training base and posed in Barca shirts since the 2000s.
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