HoopsHype.com Rumors

"Gotta say that I think LeBron's job is probably a little harder," Nowitzki said. "Messi can hide sometimes and only needs one genius touch to look good. LeBron can never hide. Eyes are always on him. But he's just such a better athlete than anyone we've ever seen. He just makes the game look easy." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

There are natural goal-scoring strikers and Stockton-esque midfield setup men all over the world soccer map, but no one has ever combined those two talents like Messi. Not even Maradona. Which is why a certain Mr. Bryant, self-avowed Barcelona fanatic, chimed in to say that Messi actually has more in common with The Great One than basketball's Chosen One. "Messi," Kobe told ESPN.com this week, "is more (Wayne) Gretzky." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, FC Barcelona, Spain, NHL, Lionel Messi, Wayne Gretzky 

For Luol Deng, All-Star swingman from the Chicago Bulls and a lifelong Arsenal supporter who knows precisely how it feels to chase James around a 94-by-50 hunk of wood, it's Messi. Deng introduces an interesting fresh variable by bringing up Messi's ceiling, which is indeed higher than LeBron's because his whole legacy changes in a dramatic way if Argentina wins just one World Cup in his time. "As good as LeBron is," Deng says, "I have to go with Messi. Because what he's doing, he's about to, he's on pace to (become) the best ever." Whoever Barcelona's playing, you're just interested to watch because Messi's playing." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Luol Deng, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

Said Simone Sandri, NBA correspondent for Italy's famed La Gazzetta dello Sport and a former professional soccer player in his country's Serie B and Serie C divisions with, among others, his hometown club Novara: "If I have to cast my vote, I have to say LeBron. Leo is obviously having another fantastic season, but LeBron, in my opinion, is having a bigger impact. Barca is such a machine that I really believe, for the sake of argument, that they could afford a Messi injury and still reach some of their goals at the end of the season. "It's hard to imagine the same thing for the LeBron-less Heat. I would have to say that, right now, LeBron is bigger threat to his opponents. Not to put Messi down, but shutting Messi down does not mean shutting Barca down. That's a team that can hurt you in many ways. Shutting down LeBron doesn't guarantee you a win over the Heat, either, but it's a bigger step in that direction." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Media, FC Barcelona, Spain, Italy, Lionel Messi, Simone Sandri 

Ethan J. Skolnick: ... I asked LeBron pregame for 5 athletes in other sports he most likes to watch. His off-cuff answer: AP, Messi, Djokovic, Brady, Tiger.... Twitter @EthanJSkolnick

Miami Heat, LeBron James, FC Barcelona, Spain, Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady 

Guess who Kobe's talking about: "I don't think I've ever seen a player really at any level in any sport play ..." "I don't think I've ever seen a player really at any level in any sport play at such a high level of efficiency. He's just been phenomenal." Bryant was praising Barcelona's Lionel Messi. "The year that Messi is having is just off the charts." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

Kobe Bryant has jokingly suggested an exchange deal between LA Lakers and Barcelona involving himself and Lionel Messi. The NBA superstar travelled to Europe this week to shoot a commercial for Turkish Airlines together with the Argentina international, and he would be happy to trade places with the 25-year-old for a week. "It would be fun if I spent one week with Barcelona and Messi played one week with the Lakers," Bryant told reporters. "What the commercial will be like? Probably Messi will play football and I will play basketball..." Goal.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi, Showbusiness 

Mete Aktas: Kobe Bryant will play in a new commercial film for Turkish Airlines along with FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

Continuing their trend of seeking to acquire the world’s most superb athletes, the Globetrotters drafted Lionel Messi, the greatest ball handler in the soccer world, and star for FC Barcelona and Argentina’s national team. Hailing from Rosario, Argentina, Messi was the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010, and he has won three Champions League titles and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Capturing the Globetrotters’ ambassadorial spirit, Messi has also established his own foundation that supports access to education and health care for at risk children, and in 2010, he was named a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Harlem Globetrotters Basketball

FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Harlem Globetrotters