Kobe Bryant to Take Part in Celebrity Soccer Match

Kobe Bryant is a big soccer fan, and will suit up in a celebrity game taking place in D.C. this Sunday. Per the LA Times: “The Lakers star is listed as one of the participants planning to play in the Celebrity Soccer Challenge on July 31 at Kastles Stadium in Washington D.C., an event sponsored by former U.S. women’s soccer player Mia Hamm and her husband, ex-Dodger Nomar Garciaparra. Bryant’s certainly no stranger to the pitch, as he played soccer growing up in Italy and is an avid fan of La Liga’s FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. He also attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But the timing is particularly interesting simply because an official from the Turkish basketball team Besiktas told reporters this weekthat the organization planned to talk with Bryant’s representatives on July 30th in hopes that he will team with Deron Williams during the NBA lockout.”