Beijing - US basketball superstar Kobe Bryant is so
impressed with Argentine football talent Lionel Messi, that he
intends to cheer for Argentina when it plays Serbia on Wednesday.
'I could not believe it,' Bryant told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa
Tuesday, shortly after the United States beat Angola 97-76 in their
second game at the Beijing Olympics.
'It was spectacular. A shock! Messi is my favourite footballer. He
is a phenomenon. I went into the media dining room, looked left, and
I thought, 'Oops! They're all there',' the Los Angeles Lakers
shooting guard said of his chance encounter Monday with the Argentine
football team.
'We took pictures. It was very moving. I am very happy,' the
basketball icon said.
Bryant likes Messi so much because 'he is the most creative of
all.'
'I love to see him play. He is very talented with the ball. You
never know what he is going to do with it,' he said.
Bryant spent several childhood years in Italy, and played football
there. He has retained a great interest in the sport, and lists
Brazilian Ronaldinho as his football favourite after Messi.
'Between them, they make a real 'dream team'.'
Asked how good he was at football, the Laker was disarmingly
frank: 'Luckily, I went for basketball.'
Bryant plans to watch from the stands as Argentina plays Serbia
Wednesday, in its first game of three in the Olympics so far.
'I will go there and sing, 'Go, Argentina',' he said
enthusiastically.
Bryant might just miss watching Messi in action, however, as the
Barcelona striker will probably be on the substitutes' bench.
Argentine coach Sergio Batista was also planning to preserve Juan
Roman Riquelme and Sergio Aguero as his team has already qualified
for the next round, regardless of the outcome against Serbia.
Bryant's fondness for the South American country was quite
apparent, since he also watched from the stands as its basketball
team thrashed Australia 85-68 on Tuesday.
Bryant and US swimming sensation Michael Phelps are the most
sought-after stars at the Olympics. Tennis ace Roger Federer was
among those who have said they hope to meet the basketball player.
When asked about being the most popular man in Beijing, Bryant was
quick to say, 'I don't think so.' Then he added: 'But, it is true
that people here are incredibly nice to me.'
USA
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