Lakers legend Kobe Bryant visits Tom Brady-less Patriots at OTAs
Bill Belichick might've just found a way to make Tom Brady regret skipping the Patriots' voluntary OTAs and a way to briefly quiet the growing rumblings about the so-called #PatriotWay being super boring (who knew?).
On Wednesday, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant stopped by the Patriots' facilities to pay the team a visit. According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Bryant attended practice and spent time in the meeting room. Brady is not attending OTAs, which means he missed Bryant's visit. It turns out Brady, who probably won't report to the team until the sessions become mandatory, is a fan of Bryant.
Those who are attending voluntary OTAs posed for photos with Bryant. It looked like fun!
As Reiss pointed out, Brady has long been an admirer of Bryant.
"You always watch other athletes and how they play the game and what makes them successful. You see them play the game the way you think it needs to be played," Brady said in 2010. "You look up to them and admire what it takes day in and day out to be a great player."
The feeling appears to be mutual. After Brady captured his fifth Super Bowl ring in February 2017, Bryant tweeted his support for Brady.
Given that Brady and Bryant are both rich athletes who are roughly the same age and have won 10 combined championships, I'm sure they'll find a way to meet up at some point in the future. For everyone else who can't just call up Kobe and hang out with him when they want to, it seems like Wednesday was a good time.
Even for the jokesters on Twitter:
Would love to hear Kobe Bryant's message about team sports and sacrificing personal stats for the greater good — Ben Volin (@BenVolin) May 30, 2018
On second thought, that might not be a joke.