Kobe Bryant: If Kobe Played Soccer Instead of Basketball, Would He Be a Pro?

Recently, Kobe Bryant took part in a celebrity soccer match in Washington, D.C. hosted by Mia Hamm. In this celebrity charity match, he scored an own goal on his own team. His presence in the game brought up plenty of questions to basketball fans around the world.

If Kobe had devoted his life to soccer would he be a professional athlete? 

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Kobe is 6'6". He doesn't have a soccer player's frame. He could've perhaps been a goalkeeper and a very good one because of his height and athleticism.

But to say that Kobe Bryant could be a dangerous striker is absolutely ridiculous. 

Sure, Kobe is fast and athletically gifted. But the best in the world like Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo have blazing speed that Kobe would not be able to keep up with because of his size. 

Kobe grew up in Italy. He played soccer there growing up. It's not like he didn't have the opportunity to become a professional soccer player. There's a reason why he chose basketball. His physical stature was built for it. He's a tall, athletic monster. 

Generally speaking, tall athletes thrive in basketball. Kobe's a smart guy, if he knew soccer was the sport for him he would've stuck with it. He knew basketball was his sport and that's why he is who he is today. 

It is interesting to see if he would've made it professionally as a goalkeeper. As mentioned before, his size gives him a huge advantage. There are also numerous clubs in all parts of the world. Kobe probably wouldn't have been a keeper for a Premier League team but there are plenty of professional leagues where he could've been a keeper. He wouldn't be famous and he definitely would not be making the money he is earning today with the Lakers. 

But to answer the question, Kobe Bryant could've been a professional soccer goalkeeper. He probably wouldn't have been a striker, defender, or midfielder because of his size, but he definitely could've been a marginal goalkeeper for a European club. 

Who knows? Maybe because of his work ethic he would've been a superstar keeper.

That being said, Kobe Bryant made the right decision going into basketball. He's been compared to the likes of Michael Jordan and is known by everyone in the world. Goalkeepers aren't generally known all around the world. They're not as popular as strikers and as mentioned before, Kobe's size wouldn't have allowed him to be a striker.