“I said: ‘What? You are the best?’” – When Kobe Bryant opened up on iconic 17-year-old Lionel Messi introduction from Ronaldinho
Basketball legend Kobe Bryant was a known football enthusiast with ties to FC Barcelona, specifically to Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. The 'Black Mamba' was first introduced to the Argentinian maestro back in 2006 by Ronaldinho when Messi was just an up-and-coming 17-year-old prospect at Camp Nou.
While talking to a media personality in an old interview, Bryant fondly recalled his first encounter with Messi. The LA Lakers shooting guard was already acquainted with Ronaldinho and got the opportunity to catch up with the Brazilian in 2006 during Barcelona's tour of the United States.
During their meeting, as mentioned by Kobe Bryant, Ronaldinho stated that he wanted to introduce a certain someone to the basketball superstar. The then-Barcelona number 10 stated that the player in question would one day become the greatest player of all time. Baffled by his description, the American sporting icon countered his statements by saying:
"What? You are the best?"
Confident in his assessment of the youngster, the Brazilian icon replied:
"No, no. This kid right here is going to be the best."
Ever since the said interview surfaced on the internet, it has garnered countless views on several social media platforms. It has made the story behind Bryant's first meet-up with Lionel Messi an ageless one.
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away in 2020 in an unfortunate helicopter crash. Having lost his second-born daughter Gianna in the same accident, the five-time NBA champion is survived by his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
Lionel Messi took to Instagram to pay tribute to his friend, writing (source: BeSoccer):
"I have no words… all my love for Kobe's family and friends.
"It was a pleasure to meet you and share good times together. You were a genius like few others."
Kobe Bryant had a close bond with Barcelona superstars Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi
Kobe Bryant's affinity towards Barcelona was established primarily due to his connection with Ronaldinho. The duo first met in the mid-2000s when the Catalan giants were visiting the United States to play a friendly at the Rose Bowl.
Bryant offered to introduce the Blaugrana stars to the city of LA, kicking off his friendship with the Brazilian.
He later linked up with Messi at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, running into the Barcelona legend at the cafeteria in the athlete's village. Following their reunion, the two sporting icons were famously cast in an advertisement for Turkish Airlines.