By Ollie Irish

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has spoken out in praise of Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

“He is the most incredible player I have ever seen,” Kobe told Sport.

“The truth is that it amazes me when the best player in the world continues inventing things that I have never seen before. He still has the ability to grow and improve as a player and he is very young.

“I try to watch all of Barca’s matches on TV when I do not have to play my own games. For example, what he did last week against Arsenal in the Champions League was incredible.

“He is a phenomenal player, he competes for every ball, he plays harder than anyone, keeps the ball at his feet no matter what is going on around him. He is a very difficult player to defend because of his style of play.”

Kobe also explained why he’s a football fan:

“I grew up in Milan where my father played basketball and football was always a sport I was very passionate about.

“When I grew up, I always followed the best players and I really liked watching Ronaldinho when he played at Barca. Later, Messi’s eruption was spectacular. He is the most incredible player I have ever seen.”

How refreshing to hear an American sports star refer to the game as football, rather than soccer.

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