"Watching her play, the way that she plays with such passion, such energy, such a love for the game, and so much creativity, I found myself being glued to the TV set. There were three things I wanted to accomplish last summer when I was in Beijing. One was to win a gold medal. Two was to watch Michael Phelps make history. The third was to watch Marta play in person. I was fortunate enough to accomplish all three. I’m beyond excited that she’s here." LA Lakers star and Barcelona fan Kobe Bryant on Brazilian midfielder and LA Sol marquee player Marta at a press event at the Home Depot Center on Thursday.