"This kid right here" - Kobe Bryant was once introduced to Lionel Messi by Ronaldinho, who claimed Argentine would be the greatest

Kobe Bryant once met a young Lionel Messi way before he became the greatest player of all time. Bryant was introduced to Messi in 2006 by Ronaldinho, who was close to the late LA Lakers legend.

In an old interview, Bryant spoke in Spanish and detailed how he met Messi for the first time through his then-Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho.

"I'll tell you a story," Bryant said. "A long time ago, Barcelona came to Los Angeles. Ronaldinho, who was a good friend, I was talking with him and he told me, 'Kobe, look I'm going to introduce you to the guy who is going to be the greatest player of all time.

"I said, 'You what? You are the best.' But he said, 'No, no. This kid right here is going to be the best.' And that guy was Lionel Messi, who was only 17."

Kobe Bryant interacted with Lionel Messi several times. They even starred in a few commercials with Turkish Airlines. Bryant also visited Barcelona, his favorite football club, during their training camp in 2015.

Two weeks before his untimely death on Jan/ 26, 2020, Bryant discussed Messi's place among the greatest athletes ever. He had nothing but praised for "La Pulga" and called him one of the best to ever do it.

"He's one of the best athletes of all time," Bryant said. "His tenacity, intelligence with which he plays as well as his skill. It just puts him head and shoulders above the rest."

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LeBron James in attendance for Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut

LeBron James hugs Lionel Messi before the match between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul.

The stars came out to watch Lionel Messi make his debut for Inter Miami on Friday against Liga MX side Cruz Azul in a 2023 Leagues Cup game. One of those stars was LeBron James, who returned to South Beach to watch a fellow G.O.A.T. do his thing on the pitch.

James shared an embrace with Messi right before the game. Cameras also caught "The King" taking a video of Messi after he scored the winner in the 94th minute.

Messi did not start the game and came on in the 54th minute with Inter Miami up 1-0 courtesy of Robert Taylor. Cruz Azul's Uriel Antuna equalized in the 65th minute before Messi's sensational winner.

With the last kick of the game, Messi curled a stunning free kick past Andres Gudino for the 2-1 win. The 22,000 people inside the DRV PNK Stadium erupted in celebration, marking one of the greatest moments in the club's early history.