mobile app bar

6FT 6” Kobe Bryant, Who Played as a Goalkeeper in Europe, Once Practiced With $150 Million Worth Kylian Mbappe

Adit Pujari
Published

6FT 6” Kobe Bryant, Who Played as a Goalkeeper in Europe, Once Practiced With $150 Million Worth Kylian Mbappe

Kobe Bryant, though a basketball legend, had roots in European football. The Legendary Lakers star, who has won 6 NBA championships, grew up in Europe where his father played professional basketball. It is here that he found his love for soccer and played as a goalkeeper. He retained his love for the sport even after his success in the NBA. Bryant showed the same love and skill when he met a young PSG star Kylian Mbappe.

Though Kobe Bryant made a career playing basketball, he actually loved Soccer more. In his interview with Fifa.com, Bryant confessed that Soccer was his favorite sport.

In fact, Black Mamba even played the sport growing up. Kobe’s father, Joe Bryant, played professional basketball in Europe. Bryant claimed that he played the sport every day for almost a decade. Perhaps that is why he was able to show some sweet moves in front of PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Also read: “What Are You Gonna Do About it, B*tc*?”: Kobe Bryant Once Berated Chris Childs After Throwing Elbows at Him and Got Punched in the Neck

Kobe Bryant and Kylian Mbappe played Soccer together

Kobe never really hid his emotions for European football. He proudly claimed that he started as a goalkeeper because of his reach but quickly moved up to become a midfielder.

Playing soccer as a mid-fielder when you are in Europe is no mean feat. It clearly shows that Kobe Bryant had the necessary dribbling and passing skills to do so. He showcased those skills in a meeting with Kylian Mbappe who is now worth a whopping $150 million.

In the video, you can see Bryant and Mbappe playing. Sort of a juggle-and-pass game. In that interaction, Kobe received a pass from Mbappe perfectly, then juggled the ball a few times, and then passed it back to the young player again.

He was pretty impressive considering the 6ft 6″ player had retired and yet his touch on the ball was still delicate.

Black Mamba and his affair with Soccer

Though basketball was Kobe’s everything, he never really let go of soccer. He was always into it and confessed to playing the sport from age 6 to 14. With a few years spent in Italy, Bryant also developed an appreciation for the Italian league. He was a proud AC Milan fan as revealed to CNN.

Bryant: “AC Milan was always my favorite team growing up. It actually started in Italy when I used to go to the basketball courts to play by myself and you used to have the little goalposts underneath the basket. I’d show up wanting to play basketball and there would be 12 kids waiting to have a match. They just put me in goal because I had these long arms and long legs, and I just had to stop everything that came my way.”

Also read: “I’ve Allowed Bronny and Bryce to not Play Certain Tournaments”: LeBron James Voices Concern over NBA Aspirants Not Getting Enough Rest

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

x-iconlinkedin-icon

Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

Share this article