Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Steve Nash have all expressed their admiration for the Club
It’s no secret that FC Barcelona are one of the most followed football teams on the planet, but it may surprise some to know that some of the team’s fans come from the best basketball league in the world, the NBA. Just this week Kevin Durant stopped by the Nike store in Barcelona and received a Barça kit and other Barça merchandise, but Durant is the latest in a long line of NBA players who have associated themselves with the Club. Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Steve Nash have all expressed their admiration for FC Barcelona. Photogallery FC Barcelona & NBA stars Magic Johnson praises Messi VIDEOS FC BARCELONA & NBA
Barça bewitches Nash
In 2009, Steve Nash said that “it’s a pleasure to watch Barça play” when he visited this side of the Atlantic at the behest of Thierry Henry, who at the time played for the Catalan team. He added: “I’m a great fan of the whole team. I love the way they play. For me it’s a great honour to be able to enjoy a match in the Camp Nou. We’re talking about one of the best teams on the planet.”
Magic Johnson attended the clasico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2012. After the match, the basketball legend declared: “I’m happy that I’m here. I wanted to be here. It’s a historic game and I wanted to be part of it, I’ll be able to say that I watched this game in person, in world’s most beautiful stadium.” He added: “Messi is my favorite, he’s my man.”
Kobe Bryant, a Barça fan through and through
Kobe Bryant has always enjoyed a close relationship with Barça’s stars. In the summer of 2006, the basketball player met with the first team during a promotional event at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. A year later, Bryant featured on the cover of ESPN magazine while wearing the Barça kit. Two years later, when Barça were on their US Tour, Kobe stopped by the team hotel in LA to say hello to the players before they departed for Miami. Lastly, Bryant featured alongside Messi in a Turkish Airlines advert in 2012.