The late Kobe Bryant was a big soccer fan. During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer made it clear that he was a fan of F.C. Barcelona in particular.
Now, the Spanish soccer powerhouse is paying tribute to Bryant in the form of their new jerseys. During a preseason match against FC Seoul in South Korea, Barcelona played in jerseys featuring the Black Mamba’s signature logo, honoring the late Bryant with a Lakers-style color scheme.
“According to Barcelona sources, speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment publicly, the collaboration has special significance given Bryant’s emotional connection to the club,” The Athletic wrote.
Bryant played 20 seasons for the Lakers, winning five championships and becoming a cult hero in the process. He passed away in early 2020 in a helicopter crash, but Barcelona’s tribute jerseys are just one of the many ways his legacy has been remembered since.
Byrant’s Barcelona Connection
During his time on the Lakers, Bryant reportedly visited the Barcelona club multiple times in the 2000s and 2010s. Most notably, he met legends Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, sparking both a friendship and following of the team.
“‘I think Messi must have been 18 at the time, 17 maybe,’ said Bryant. ‘Ronaldinho called him over and said, ‘Kobe, I want you to meet the player who is going to be the greatest player who ever lived.’ Bryant and Messi got to know each other better at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Both men were in the process of leading their respective teams to gold medals when they happened to run into each other at the cafeteria in the athletes’ village,” ESPN wrote in 2017.
Bryant grew up in Italy, speaking both Italian and Spanish before moving back to the U.S. for high school and a subsequent Hall of Fame career in the NBA. Besides the Spanish side Barcelona, Bryant was also a fan of A.C. Milan, giants in the Italian Serie A league.
His teammate, Pau Gasol, was a Barcelona native and played on their youth team before his NBA career, winning two titles with Bryant in 2009 and 2010. The Black Mamba also reportedly received a contract offer from Barcelona after he retired from the NBA, but turned it down.
Barcelona’s basketball team played a preseason game against Bryant and Gasol’s Lakers in 2010, beating the defending champions 92-88.
Barcelona’s Kobe Bryant Tribute
Along with their club patch and the Bryant signature logo, Barcelona’s tribute jerseys feature a gold and violet color scheme.
“These take inspiration from the colours of the Lakers,” The Athletic wrote. “The Nike swoosh has been replaced by the Kobe Sheath logo on the chest, and the shirt’s fabric has a snakeskin texture in keeping with Bryant’s Black Mamba nickname.”
In a partnership with their sponsor, Nike, the company made a press release giving an explanation of the jerseys and reasoning behind the tribute.
“Born from a shared obsession with relentless self-improvement, the partnership brings the Kobe Sheath to professional football for the first time through a collection that captures the dedication and values central to Kobe’s legacy and Barça’s DNA,” Nike said.
“The collaboration celebrates Kobe’s lifelong love for football and admiration for FC Barcelona’s joyful style of play and philosophy. In return, Barça recognizes Kobe as a driving force in global sport who lived by the discipline and drive for greatness that defines the club.”
Nike previously featured Kobe Bryant’s logo on college basketball jerseys for the Kentucky Wildcats, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. Like Michael Jordan’s ‘Jordan Brand’ and LeBron James‘ ‘LJ’ logo, Bryant’s brand also falls under the Nike umbrella.
While Barcelona’s tribute jerseys were just for a preseason game, they enter the upcoming Spanish LaLiga season as defending champions, with star players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Gavi, and Marcus Rashford.
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