NBA Stars and Their Favorite European Soccer Teams

Posted on by Jack Marks

The NBA and soccer have always had a close relationship, with several basketball players at the top levels of the sport being welcomed into various football stadiums during games and receiving warm greetings from the spectators. Many NBA players have also shown their support for other sports and leagues.

As professional athletes, these players get along well with other athletes and are frequently seen cheering for their preferred teams in stadiums. Many NBA players, like Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, were inspired by soccer players and mastered new talents as a result.

NBA star Stephen Curry Lionel Messi
Credits: Marca

NBA players frequently travel worldwide to major sporting events, and we all know that sports enthusiasm has no bounds. Following are some of the famous NBA legends & stars who support European soccer teams.

LeBron James – Liverpool

LeBron James
Credits: Highsnobiety

LeBron James, the NBA superstar, not only supports Liverpool but also has a minority share in the club. He has donned the Liverpool jersey several times during various events and is still affiliated with the club. LeBron’s investment is now valued at more than £37 million, and he has assumed a more active position inside the firm.

Pau Gasol – FC Barcelona

Pau Gasol was born in Barcelona, Spain, and his affinity for FC Barcelona should come as no surprise. He was a member of the Spanish National Basketball Team at the Olympics and is proud of his Spanish background. Gasol returned to Spain on February 23, 2021, to play for Liga ACB team FC Barcelona. He helped Barcelona win the 2020–21 ACB title and reach the final of the 2020–21 EuroLeague when they were defeated by Anadolu Efes.

Luka Doncic – Real Madrid

At the age of 16, Doncic made his senior Real Madrid squad debut, becoming the club’s youngest player ever. He guided Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague victory and was named EuroLeague MVP as well as Final Four MVP two years later. Doni also won back-to-back EuroLeague Rising Star and ACB Best Young Player trophies, as well as being voted the ACB Most Valuable Player. He was named to the EuroLeague All-Decade Team from 2010 to 20. Luka Doncic used to play soccer as a child, but he finally switched his focus to basketball.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Arsenal

The ‘Greek Freak,’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, grew up playing football in Greece and was a huge Arsenal fan. Multiple times, he has shown his admiration for the team. Giannis grew up playing football and continued to do so throughout his youth before switching to basketball when he was 13 years old. During that period, the Milwaukee Bucks forward, who is also a two-time NBA MVP, grew up rooting for Arsenal, who memorably went undefeated for a whole season en route to winning the Premier League and placing second in the Champions League.

Carmelo Anthony – Arsenal

Carmelo Anthony is a die-hard Arsenal supporter, and there is no doubt about it — he has stated it several times and it is well documented. He claimed he was a “gooner” for the first time in 2015 when he saw the squad, which featured Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil at the time. Since then, he has shown his admiration for Arsenal on several occasions, and in 2019, he aired an episode of his YouTube program ‘Hoodie SZN‘ in which Arsenal defender Rob Holding was featured.