NBA Rumors: Red Hot Chili Peppers Bassist Finds Connection in Kobe Bryant While Attending the Athlete's Farewell

Michael Balzary, better known as the one-named bassist wonder 'Flea' of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, felt emotional with an odd mix of anxiety, despair, pain, joy, awe, and inspiration as he joined countless others in a sendoff game for one of Lakers' greatest sons, the phenomenal Kobe Bryant.

Flea is a constant fixture at Lakers games proving his loyal fandom for the team. He's been a season-ticket holder for nearly two decades now even before the Staples Center was opened to host many of the team's games since 1999. In the 1980's, the band released a song title 'Magic Johnson'- a fitting tribute to Lakers' Showtime era leader.

Will the band do the same for Kobe Bryant as they did for Magic Johnson? Probably. After all, Flea and fellow band member and Red Hot's lead singer Anthony Kiedis are certified diehard Lakers' and hardcore Bryant fans.

"I knew many anti-Kobe [fans], especially people who didn't like the Lakers, they just hated him," Flea said as quoted by LA Times. "Even Lakers fans to this day still express disappointment over his shooting too much or being too hard on his teammates, always saying he's about me, me, me. I just don't buy it, man.

"First of all, he got five rings and clearly it worked. Shaq [O'Neal] left, he got two rings [without him]. You can't do that without being a leader, without understanding team dynamic.

With that being said, Flea is willing to overlook number 24's apparent self-centered flaws because of his huge contribution to Lakers', probably more than any other players who came before him.

"I've watched, listened to or at least read about pretty much every game that Kobe Bryant played his entire career," Flea told the Rolling Stone Magazine.

He further said, "And I see someone who put a lot of stock in discipline and work ethic and nurturing his creativity. I just have always respected him so much - even when he was young and arrogant and foolish and you know, arguably self-centered. He's always meant so much to me."

As Kobe marks his 20-year love affair with basketball under Lakers wings, Bryant has a record of '57,253 minutes of NBA basketball at the highest level (954 hours and 13 minutes on the hardcourt) as reported by NBC Los Angeles.