Celebrity/Sports Friendships and Connections You Didn't Know About

Did you know that Serena Williams and Eva Longoria are friends? What about Drew Brees and Brad Pitt?

There are a lot of celebrity-athlete friendships and connections out there, some of which are more well-known than others. For instance, everybody knows about LeBron James and Jay Z, but here are some high-powered duos that fly under-the-radar.

Of course, you TMZ junkies out there might already know about some of these, but I’m still going to try to surprise you.

Honorable Mention: Chris Christie and Jerry Jones

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This one gets an honorable mention because you didn’t know about it...until you did. The friendship between Jerry Jones and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie hit the national spotlight during the recent NFL playoffs. The two shared their now infamous luxury suite bro hug when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions.  

Honorable Mention: Kanye West and Russell Westbrook

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This one is an honorable mention because Russell Westbrook doesn’t actually appear to be friends with Kanye West—he just might want to be.

When asked if he’d like to collaborate with West on their shared love of fashion, Westbrook told Jennifer Cooper and Mike Vulpo of E! Online, “If the opportunity came about, definitely. I have a creative mind and I am doing lots of great things in fashion...I know we could figure something out together.”

Justin Timberlake and Jimmer Fredette

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Jimmer Fredette gained recognition in the basketball world as a star guard at Brigham Young University and the 2011 AP Player of the Year. He now plays in the NBA for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Justin Timberlake is famous for, well, being Justin Timberlake. Anyway, these two have apparently known each other for years, according to The Big Lead. In 2012, Fredette tweeted a throwback photo of the two as young kids and then again at the 2011 ESPYs. Who knows if they are actually friends now, but it's a small world, right?

Kevin Hart and Adrian Peterson

Comedian Kevin Hart is all over the sports world lately: He hung out with Will Ferrell at the Super Bowl, he worked out with the University of Texas football team and he’s a staple in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Hart also had some fun with Adrian Peterson in January. According to Extra Mustard, Peterson attended one of Hart’s shows in Texas, and in a supremely random turn of events, the two ended up having a footrace in the street.

Jay Z and Robert Kraft

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Jay Z is regularly seen rubbing elbows with major athletes like LeBron James. However, in 2013, the rap mogul and his wife Beyonce were spotted hanging out with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft at Jay Z's 40/40 club in New York City.

Fast-forward to February 2015, shortly after Kraft’s Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX. Kraft attended a Grammys brunch hosted by Jay Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, and the two looked like old chums yet again.

Gordon Ramsay and David Beckham

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You probably know about David Beckham’s famous bromance with Tom Cruise, but did you know Becks is also chummy with Hell’s Kitchen’s Gordon Ramsay?

According to Daily Mail, the two became friends in 2006 when Ramsay catered a party for the Beckham family. In 2014, the two were spotted hiking the Grand Canyon together, along with Mrs. Beckham.

Justin Bieber and Tyson Chandler

Justin Bieber just can’t seem to stay out of the sports scene. Most people know about his widely publicized friendship with Floyd Mayweather, but apparently he’s bros with Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler too.

In 2013, Bieber posted an Instagram photo of himself with Kevin Durant, Tyson Chandler and Carl Lentz. Later, Chandler told TMZ, “Justin is a friend of mine, so I went over to the house to have a few words with him.”

Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong

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Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong have two things in common: fitness and Texas. According to Eric Ditzian of MTV, the two became friends years ago and started working out together and doing work for Armstrong’s charity, The Livestrong Foundation.

When asked how he reacted to Armstrong’s 2013 doping admission, McConaughey said, via Ditzian, “I was mad. I then got kind of sad for him. First off, I had a part of me that took it kind of personally, which I think a lot of people have.”

Jase Robertson and Tim Tebow

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Who is Jase Robertson, you ask? He’s one of the stars of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, and apparently he’s at least sort of friends with Tim Tebow. The two both appeared at the Wildfire "Men's Impact" Weekend conference in South Carolina in June 2013.

They returned for the 2014 conference as well and even chopped a little wood together beforehand—for real. Robertson posted the very manly photo on Twitter.

Lil Wayne and Cristiano Ronaldo

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In July 2014, rumors swirled that soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo had plans to sign with Lil Wayne’s sports agency, according to TMZ (via MTV News' Nadeska Alexis). The rumors were ultimately dispelled, but that doesn’t mean the two stars aren’t friendly.

Lil Wayne hung out with Ronaldo and the entire Real Madrid team at a Los Angeles hotel in July. Later, when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge swept the nation, Ronaldo reinforced his friendship with the rapper by calling on him to take the challenge.

Vladimir Putin and Dennis Rodman

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Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman made waves when he visited North Korea several times and became friendly with controversial leader Kim Jong-un.

In late 2014, Rodman made a visit to Russia at the request of President Vladimir Putin. Rodman told Melissa Francis of Fox Business, “They don’t know about American basketball, American football. I went over there to represent America as far as basketball is concerned.”

Rodman also called Putin “a cool guy.” Perhaps a new bromance is in the making.

Brad Pitt and Drew Brees

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In May 2012, Drew Brees and Matthew McConaughey were in New Orleans for a Kenny Chesney concert that benefited their respective charitable foundations. The two were hanging out on the actor's balcony when they encountered another famous friend.

As it turned out, McConaughey and Brad Pitt were neighbors in New Orleans, though they reportedly didn’t know it until that day Brees was in town, according to BuzzFeed's Lauren Yapalater. Pitt tossed a beer over to McConaughey’s balcony, and bros everywhere rejoiced.

Now, it seems that Pitt and Brees have maintained somewhat of a friendship. Brees talked to TMZ in January about his relationship with Pitt. Both do philanthropic work in New Orleans, and Pitt is a big New Orleans Saints fan. He even publicly came to Brees’ defense when critics were hating on the quarterback's fantasy stats last season.

Kiefer Sutherland and Pete Carroll

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Pete Carroll is friends with Macklemore—random. But did you know that the Seattle Seahawks head coach is also friendly with actor Kiefer Sutherland?

According to TMZ, Sutherland is a huge fan of USC football and befriended Carroll when he coached there. Most recently, Sutherland defended Carroll against all the play-call criticism after Super Bowl XLIX.

Eva Longoria and Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is often seen with gal pal Kim Kardashian, but KK’s not the only celebrity friend of the tennis great. Following her U.S. Open win in September 2014, Williams and actress Eva Longoria lounged on a Miami beach together. According to Daily Mail, Longoria attended the tournament and has “long been a supporter” of Williams' career.