Kobe Dreams Of Soccer
(Soccer365.com) - With three NBA Championships to his credit with the Los Angeles Lakers it is hard to think of Kobe Bryant asking what if. What if he and some of the other great athletes in the NBA had grown up with a soccer ball rather than a basketball bouncing around the house?
"If myself, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James had a soccer ball at our feet instead of a basketball at 2 years old, with our size, it could have been something," Bryant told the Chicago Tribune. "If we had played soccer all our lives, I think [the U.S. soccer team] would have been pretty potent [in the World Cup]."
Bryant grew up playing both basketball and soccer after his dad moved to Italy when the young Kobe was 6 years old. While in Europe he developed and appreciation for the game so adored around the globe and still credits his time playing soccer has helping improve his basketball skills although did point out he was no soccer superstar.
"I'm comfortable [with basketball] footwork because I played soccer," Bryant said, "from changing up rhythms to foot speed, to being comfortable with having my right foot as my pivot foot and my left foot as my pivot foot."
"I wasn't anything spectacular," Bryant said. "I would have moments of doing something crazy that really wasn't done on purpose. I'd pull off a nice move that was unintentional.”
After returning to the U.S. in 1991, Bryant’s attention turned solely to basketball and his dream of playing in the NBA but knows had he remained in Europe he would have continued to play soccer and just maybe would have wound up playing for his team, the Rossoneri.
"I would have kept playing [soccer], that's for sure," Bryant said. "I loved basketball so much, but I also wanted to play for AC Milan. That was my team growing up."
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Comments
dang kobe shoukd have played soccer instead of basketball but its all cool since hes one of the best at basketball. i still want to see kobe playing soccer. thall be cool.
Posted by: bob | August 10, 2006 07:56 AM
Good thing Kobe stuck with Basketball
Posted by: JD | August 10, 2006 09:33 PM
MERRYLANDS SOCCER FOOBALL CLB I LIKE TO SEE THE WORLD COP-A ATHON
Posted by: SADWERF | August 14, 2006 06:10 AM
kOBE PLAYING SOCCER IS FUNNY.
Posted by: seederplinga | August 16, 2006 04:42 PM
shouldnt kobe worry more about basketball ? probably he should . because if he would team usa wuoldnt have been spanked at the last basketball world cup. plus his head is way too far from his feet .kicking? no not for him or lebron
Posted by: sally | March 9, 2007 03:47 PM
If u grew up with a soccer ball Kobe ud still b tripping all over it trying to make something of urself. Stick to basketball.
Posted by: RcFutbolFreak | March 9, 2007 10:07 PM
I had no idea Kobe played soccer but I still don't like him.
Posted by: Keeeper King | March 10, 2007 09:24 AM
dats pretty cool man
Posted by: Zak | June 27, 2008 09:13 PM
there is no way LeBron James could play soccer. Perhaps Kobe could but probably not. Steve Nash is a different story
Posted by: NBsocceras | July 15, 2008 11:17 AM
man i didnt know he played soccer he probably sucks yaa stick to basketball......................
Posted by: julio cesar | July 21, 2008 12:49 PM
Hey, sbulte must be your middle name. Great post!
Posted by: Keys | January 7, 2012 05:34 PM