Former Chelsea Star And Kobe Bryant Teamed Up Once To Cheer 'Depressed' Lakers Teammate

Kobe Bryant will always be known to many as one of the greatest players the world has ever seen but for people who had close encounters with him, he will always be known as one of the greatest people off-the-court.

A story shared on the website of Premier League team Chelsea talked about the Los Angeles Lakers’ star teaming up with one of their longtime stars Didier Drogba to lift up the crushed spirits of Kobe’s teammate Adam Morrison, who was a football fan – Chelsea in particular.

Morrison was the third pick of the 2006 NBA Draft and was drafted ahead of Brandon Roy, JJ Redick, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, and Paul Millsap. He isn’t producing the numbers the people are expecting from him being picked that high from the draft and that brought him to what he described as “a really low point in my life.”

"I wasn’t playing obviously, career was in the s---, my personal life wasn't great, I was really depressed," revealed the former Gonzaga star via Rejecting the Screen podcast transcribed by Sports Illustrated. "I was basically a hermit in my own house. I didn’t go out in the community at all, and if you did it was people asking you, ‘Why aren’t you playing?’

He was clueless when Kobe’s close friend from the Lakers security Robert Lara asked for his address for he’s got something for him in the mail.

"I get the package, and it’s an autographed jersey from Didier Drogba, who is my favorite player, I’m a Chelsea fan. It was from Kobe,” said the delighted Morrison. “A game-worn jersey, signed, 'Didier Drogba, To Adam, Best Wishes.’ I always thought Kobe made a phone call, which would be fine, still cool as s---, unbelievable.”

When the news that Kobe was killed in a helicopter crash, Morrison was overcome with emotions and was just left scrolling down on social media. I’m emotional reading stuff, and on Chelsea’s Instagram page, it says, ‘When Kobe visits Stamford Bridge,” and the first picture is him holding the fucking jersey with Didier Drogba and if you zoom in, it says, ‘To Adam.”

“So he went up to my favorite player, got it signed for me without me even asking, and sent it to me when he knew I was low. That is what Kobe Bryant was.”

Morrison may have played for only four seasons in the NBA but he was able to win two NBA championships – both with Kobe and the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.