Widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Lionel Messi has inspired athletes far beyond the soccer pitch. Boston Celtics center Xavier Tillman recently revealed how the Inter Miami forward became a key example during the Celtics’ run to the NBA championship last year.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Celtics players shared that head coach Joe Mazzulla drew influence from Pep Guardiola, particularly in shaping the team’s approach to movement without the ball. According to their statements to the Spanish outlet, the team studied videos of Guardiola’s Barcelona and Manchester City squads to emulate their off-ball positioning. One standout in those videos was Messi.
“A lot of our offense is based on football concepts, spaces, and reading the game,” Tillman told Mundo Deportivo. “Mazzulla shows us a lot of videos of Lionel Messi—how he scans the field before receiving the ball and knows exactly what he’s going to do when he gets it.”
Messi’s ability to read the game has long been heralded as one of his defining talents, setting him apart as more than just a goal scorer. His vision and awareness allow him to create plays and find solutions in spaces others can’t even see.
Xavier Tillman #26 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on March 18, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Tillman is not the first NBA player to admire Messi. The late Kobe Bryant, who appeared in several commercials with Messi for Turkish Airlines, once called him “one of the greatest athletes of all time.” More recently, LeBron James has been spotted attending Inter Miami games to watch Messi in action, while also calling him greatness when he signed with the Herons. “Welcome brother!!! It’s always nice to see and be in the presence of GREATNESS!!! @leomessi,” he wrote on his socials at the time.
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Messi’s influence reaches beyond the NBA
Messi’s impact is also felt in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, recently traded to the Tennessee Titans, has cited Messi as one of his idols. Hopkins revealed that he initially wore the No. 10 jersey in honor of the Argentine star. Now, he’ll be donning No. 8 in tribute to Kobe Bryant.
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“Kobe Bryant is one of my favorite athletes of all time,” Hopkins said, as reported by Chiefs beat writer Matt Derrick on X. “So, when I got the chance to wear No. 8, I took it. Just like when I picked No. 10 because Messi was my favorite soccer player—an underdog like me when I came out of college. No. 8 is a special number because of Kobe.”
