Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a known fan of other sports. He does not shy away from watching and supporting other teams, and he is very vocal and lively whenever he watches Cleveland squads.
LeBron is also a known soccer fan, as he has a stake in Liverpool FC. So, it's no surprise the Lakers star took notice when Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann imitated the infamous pregame chalk toss after scoring a goal over the weekend:
@AntoGriezmann I see you brother!! Helluva match and the chalk/confetti toast was right on point 🙌🏾😉!! 👑 https://t.co/qd3StjIKRu
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2019
There was no secret to hide what the celebration was about. The only difference between James' pregame ritual and Griezmann's celebration was that the World Cup winner threw blue and red confetti in the air instead.
Griezmann admitted afterward he was paying tribute to LeBron, per Tales Azzoni of The Associated Press:
“I like LeBron’s ritual and I tried to imitate him,” Griezmann said.
It's not weird to see athletes imitating signature celebrations of other professionals in other sports. There is a lot of crossover between the NFL and NBA, so it's not weird to see an NBA move or celebration being done after a first down or a touchdown.
It's also not strange to see basketball celebrations being done by soccer stars. The sport's biggest stars tend to go to NBA games whenever they have the opportunity. The same thing happens the other way around.
Griezmann is clearly a big basketball fan and a LeBron James supporter. In fact, you will see basketball-related stuff pop up on his Twitter from time to time. He has also made the trip to the United States a couple of times to watch NBA games live.
It's nice to see such a crossover from two seemingly different worlds. Talent respects talent, after all.
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