Tuscaloosa had a very special guest recently, as former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant rolled into the Alabama Crimson Tide’s turf on Thursday to give some advice and tips to keep themselves motivated for the upcoming college football season.

In front of Alabama’s players and coaching staff, Bryant spoke about what it takes to be an unselfish leader, while drawing inspiration from his career in the NBA.

“To be an effective leader, you have to be a really good listener. And not to what’s being said, but what’s not being said. You have to be really observant. That was a big transition for me. I went from being a scorer and a floor general with Pau [Gasol] and Lamar [Odom] while trying to win a championship to being a leader. That meant putting others first. That means not worrying about if are you in rhythm, are you playing well in this game, are you ready to go to are they ready? What can I do to help them be ready?”

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Although the preseason AP Top 25 rankings are yet to be released, it’s widely expected that Alabama, as usual, will be No. 1 – if not among those near the top of the list — considering its typical rich haul of recruits and the return of some of its key pieces that helped the Crimson Tide win it all in the College Football Playoffs Championship Game earlier this year.

These young football players will have to heed the advice of the Lakers legend and listen to their mentors. After all, they’re being coached by arguably the best in the business in Nick Saban.