The Tightest-Knit Groups of Friends in Sports
Forming cliques and having a tight-knit group of friends is all part of sports. Friendships are formed, bonds are generated and fans take notice.
It doesn't matter what sport we turn to. These unbreakable bonds remain prevalent.
Because there are so many friendships to go around, the following 10 examples are ones that have been around for ages. Whether the people involved won games together, grew up together or attended the same college, these tight-knit friendships are everlasting.
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol
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Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol may no longer play in Los Angeles Lakers gold anymore. But that doesn't change what they went through together for seven seasons and the friendship that went with it.
Taking it back to 2012, Bryant was adamant about Gasol's future with the Lakers. Per ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes, the Black Mamba even went as far as saying, "As long as I'm here, [Gasol is] going to be here."
When Gasol finally departed from the Lakers in 2014, Bryant was with him every step of the way. "I went over and hung out at his pad for hours, and we just talked. It was a pride thing for him. It was like, we're brothers," the veteran guard told Holmes.
That distinct level of camaraderie helped the Lakers win two championships and carved out an unforgettable chapter in the franchise's extensive history.
Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson
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Golf's oddest friendship also happens to be its most fascinating.
Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson have taken the term tight knit to a new stage thanks to ridiculous music videos and countless moments on the links.
Together, this pair has infused a much-needed sense of comedic value and swagger into golf. Fowler and Watson's friendship has been great for the sport.
Tony Romo and Jason Witten
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Tony Romo and Jason Witten will go down as two of the greatest Dallas Cowboys to ever take the field. They also will be remembered as being great friends.
The history between Romo and Witten's friendship is an inspiring tale. In Jean-Jacques Taylor's ESPN.com story, he wrote that the pair's "relationship was forged on the practice field under the glare of Bill Parcells."
It's cool these two guys have remained so close over the years and helped the Cowboys grow as an organization. Remember, Romo's 37 touchdown passes to Witten are second most in his career—Dez Bryant and Romo have linked up 50 times to date.
Clearly there's a strong chemistry there.
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Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
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The WWE Universe has seen former Shield members Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose turn into de facto brothers.
They've built a friendship that's carried over to major storylines throughout the course of the company's calendar year. The best part is, it has worked out in many ways.
Ambrose and Reigns will eventually go their separate ways on television, but the bond they've crafted over the years doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon.
Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett
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Marshawn Lynch's NFL career might be over, but Lynch's friendship with Justin Forsett remains in tact.
Lynch and Forsett were teammates for two seasons in the NFL. However, the real concrete building blocks of their bond was crafted during the time they spent together at the University of California.
It was at Cal where Lynch taught Forsett how to drive, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.
Mink's reporting also showcased how their friendship transformed into almost a brother-like connection. "We get along because he is 100 percent Marshawn all the time. He’s going to give it to you uncut,” Forsett said to Mink.
Lynch and Forsett's relationship is one that exceeds football. So even though he's now retired from the sport, you'd assume this is one connection that could never be broken.
LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade
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Pro basketball's ultimate version of a clique includes four of the best players in the world today.
LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony have formulated a friendship that eventually could lead them playing on the same team, per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck.
"At least one, maybe one or two seasons—me, Melo, D-Wade, CP—we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that," James told Beck.
Can you imagine if that actually goes down? Those guys turning their friendship into a powerhouse team would be the ultimate way to end an NBA career—not to mention a polarizing one.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry
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The friendship between Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry and New York Giants pass-catcher Odell Beckham Jr. dates back to their high school days.
As ESPN's Dan Graziano reported, Landry and Beckham have been close for a while now. "The two met at a football camp when they were both in high school in Louisiana," Graziano wrote.
When high school ended, both men headed to LSU in order to pursue their dreams. That bond got stronger, and when they hit the pros, it exploded.
Before their showdown in December 2015, Beckham expressed to Graziano exactly how he felt about Landry. "It's not just typical receiver competitiveness, where you're really comparing the numbers. I just want to see him be the greatest receiver of all time, and I think it's the same for him with me. We're going to push each other to be the best we possibly can."
It's refreshing to witness the level of respect these two talented young wide receivers have for one another.
Zdeno Chara and Marian Hossa
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Few people in sports are as close as Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and Chicago Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa.
ESPN.com's Scott Burnside detailed just how close they are in a piece he wrote previewing the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals: "The two Slovaks essentially grew up together, played together as young men and now are neighbors living across the street from each other in their shared hometown of Trencin."
A worldly connection that blossomed from kids in Slovakia to the NHL is not only a rarity. It's also a story that would make for one heck of a movie.
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins
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In 2009, John Calipari's first powerhouse Kentucky team consisted of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Though they lost to in the Elite Eight, the stage was set for future NBA greatness.
Since their Kentucky days, Wall and Cousins have both flourished in the NBA while remaining tremendous friends.
Both men keep in touch, as Michael Lee's 2013 article for the Washington Post expressed. And Wall understands that despite them playing for different teams, they'll always a great relationship to fall back on: "We brothers off the court, but on the court, it’s no friends."
Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus
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Baseball's biggest bromance was formed down in Arlington, Texas. It consists of shortstop Elvis Andrus and longtime slugger Adrian Beltre.
It's an entertaining friendship you can't help but notice when you watch the Texas Rangers play. Chris Kral of CBS Local brought six examples of that to the forefront.
Between the pranks and humor, these two guys have set the bar high for on-field antics. It's amazing to watch them get after it, and it also proves having fun can be part of baseball.
All stats and information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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