LA Lakers, spearheaded by LeBron James, took on Charlotte Hornets, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, yesterday. Hornets came out winners in a close-fought encounter by 134-130 in the Crypto.com Arena. However, the game saw the limelight shared by El Clasico rivals and France teammates in the audience.

The clubs are gearing up for the start of club soccer after a FIFA World Cup break. Players are returning from World Cup duty. Meanwhile, two soccer stars from the French national team attended the NBA game on 23rd December. 

The La Liga duo of Jules Kounde (FC Barcelona) and his international teammate Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid) are on vacation and attended the Lakers-Hornets game. It was not the first occasion when the duo was seen together for an NBA game. They also attended a game during the summer back earlier this season in Miami.

El Clasico stars united for LeBron James-led Lakers game

The El Clasico rival stars stole some limelight during the game where two NBA legends, LeBron James and Michael Jordan, went head to head. Although Michael Jordan-owned Hornets came out on top, James-inspired Lakers nearly made it in the final quarter.

Tchouameni and Kounde find their inspiration from the NBA and follow the basketball league closely. Tchouameni spoke about how Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant inspired him earlier this year. 

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The young Real Madrid midfielder said, “I try to be inspired by the legends like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. They are legends who always try to give their best to the game.” It is no surprise that he attended a game of a team owned by Michael Jordan.

When Jules Kounde completed his move to FC Barcelona, he was asked about his goal celebrations. The defender said, “I love basketball, and especially Kobe Bryant. The celebration is the Black Mamba and a tribute to Kobe Bryant.”

The duo takes inspiration from the NBA and its legends, and it’s no surprise they keep attending the NAB games whenever possible. It will be a good boost for them after losing in the World Cup final and rejoining their respective clubs for the second half of the La Liga season. 

La Liga returns to action on Thursday

The highly awaited second half of European club soccer starts next week. There will be fixture congestion, due to the winter World Cup and top teams still alive in all competitions. La Liga will commence its second half on Thursday.

FC Barcelona is top of the table and with two points advantage over arch-rivals Real Madrid. It is anticipated to be a two-horse race this season for La Liga as Barcelona and Real Madrid are ahead of the rest of the pack by nine points. 

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It will be interesting to see how the World Cup break affects the league leaders. We are hoping for an enthralling end to the season with Barcelona and Real Madrid giving everything till the end.

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Let us know in the comments how Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni performed in the FIFA World Cup for France and predict the club to win La Liga.