⚽ World Cup's Draw For Kobe, LeBron And U.S. Stars

Many American stars from other sports have deep-rooted passion for the World Cup. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The World Cup’s popularity stretches far and wide with other famous American athletes among the fans … The NFL is loaded at wide receiver, but who is the league's best? … and more! In the summer of 2018, Kobe Bryant was up early each day, because he was Kobe Bryant, and that's what he did — even a couple of years into retirement. If there was one thing Bryant could do as well as he played basketball it was managing time, and he was adamant that the secret to productivity was getting after it in the darkened hours, when everyone else was still snoozing. He'd get all kinds of things done pre-dawn, he told me, 17 months before his tragic death in a helicopter crash. Business matters, ideation for his burgeoning media start-up, physical exercise; things that could be completed in solitude and free up later time to spend with his wife and daughters. And, for a solid month four years ago, his morning routine permitted the slightest tweak for a new element, one he was devoted to. The World Cup. Bryant spent part of his childhood in soccer-mad Italy, where his father, Joe, played professional basketball, and where calcio became his first sporting love. He never stopped following soccer, got to know David Beckham when the English star moved to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, traveled to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa days after winning the NBA Finals, and found the opening part of the 2018 World Cup matched up beautifully with his schedule. By 5 a.m. Pacific time, when the first World Cup games kicked off in Russia, "retired" Bryant had already fully awoken and crossed off some daily tasks. As the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Harry Kane readied for action, the Lakers icon was on the treadmill at his Newport Coast, Calif. home, eyes glued to the television screen above it, taking in the matches being beamed from Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Saransk. Soccer's halftime of around 15 minutes allowed for a post-run shower, meaning he could be changed and ready to enjoy the second half while eating breakfast or stretching. "It was perfect for me," he told me in an interview in September 2018, less than two months after the World Cup finished. "I didn't have anything else going on when I was on the treadmill in the morning. No (distractions). I loved it." While Bryant's soccer appreciation might be one of the more extreme examples of how many American stars from other sports have deep-rooted passion for the World Cup, he's far from the only one. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Where do Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson fall among the [NFL’s best receivers]( The FOX Sports’ NFL writers rank the best in a loaded league. - Why is Russell Wilson taking so many hits? What is [causing so many close games]( in the NFL this season? Warren Sharp breaks down the latest around the NFL. - Despite Steve Cohen being MLB's wealthiest owner, there's [no guarantee Jacob deGrom returns to New York]( Deesha Thosar writes. - In Qatar, [three players will provide leadership]( and drive the Americans’ effort, and they go way, way back. Doug McIntyre has the story. - Lincoln Riley and Chip Kelly face off Saturday in a USC-UCLA contest of rare importance for both teams. Bryan Fischer details [how they got here](. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) Jayson Tatum and the Celtics look to keep their winning streak alive as they go to Atlanta to take on Trae Young and the Hawks. No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs at No. 11 Texas Longhorns (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m. ET) The Gonzaga Bulldogs travel to Texas to play the Longhorns in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET) Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors head to Phoenix to battle Devin Booker and the Suns. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers: Packers (-3) to win by more than three points From FOX Sports Gambling Analyst: Sam Panayotovich Don’t let Green Bay get hot. The Packers will be favored in five of their remaining seven games and there’s no reason they can’t pull an upset in Miami or Philadelphia. But any string of victories must continue with a focused effort this Thursday at Lambeau. It also helps to have Aaron Rodgers in middle-finger mode. Tennessee simply cannot pass the ball [31st in the NFL with 148 passing yards per game] so Green Bay’s run defense will likely dictate the outcome. And I trust defensive coordinator Joe Barry to stack the box accordingly and do his best to negate power runs from Derrick Henry. I would lay anything under a field goal. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2022 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 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