Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant isn’t spending too much time relaxing during his retirement. He has been popping up everywhere, from his ESPN series “Detail,” his Academy Award-winning poem “Dear Basketball,” to a book that will be published in the fall.
Even with all of that, Bryant still found time to pay a visit to the NFL’s New England Patriots at their organized team activities.
While Bryant’s visit to a New England team may not sit well with the Lakers faithful due to the team’s longstanding feud with the Boston Celtics, Bryant is taking advantage of opportunities being presented to him in retired life.
Bryant is well-respected in the sports world thanks to two decades of basketball and a “Mamba Mentality” that kept him focused on becoming the best he could be. Even in retirement, his visit was a day to remember for the Patriots, via ESPN:
Bryant’s presence excited several players, some of whom posted pictures of themselves with Bryant on social media. Said one player of Bryant’s presence, “Just hanging out and dropping some knowledge.”
“I have a ton of respect for Kobe. Obviously a great player, had a great career. Spent the day with him yesterday. He had a lot of great observations and things we could learn from. He’s a tremendous guy,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Thursday.
Bryant has long been a student of the game of basketball, mastering his craft on both a mental and physical level. As such, it’s no surprise that he would eventually branch out to other sports.
While he may not know football to the same degree as basketball, he managed to get the absolute most athletic achievement out of his body, and that’s something that translates across any sport.
His visit with the Patriots also comes with a bit of irony as Bryant is a staunch Philadelphia Eagles fan. He met with the team at their hotel late last year prior to a game against the Rams. And though he’s a big fan, Bryant refused to discuss their Super Bowl odds out of fear of jinxing them.
Bryant also spoke with the USC Trojans football team, leaving head coach Clay Helton marveling at his wealth of knowledge.
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