I bet a lot of people were completely unaware that Kobe Bryant was a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines. He was brought in about 2 years ago to help promote the airline’s then new nonstop service from Istanbul to Los Angeles. It is not uncommon for American athletes and actors to get paid a lot of money to star in commercials overseas, and you know that Bean is getting paid very handsomely for his endorsement.
In this newest commercial, Kobe is on a flight with the greatest soccer player in the world, FC Barcelona’s Leonel Messi when they find themselves competing for the affection of a starstruck young kid.
You know Turkish Airlines is not afraid to spend money when Kobe is the SECOND biggest star in your commercial. Anybody who argues that Kobe is bigger than Messi worldwide has a really narrow view of the world. Heck, its not a stretch to say Barcelona is a bigger franchise than the Los Angeles Lakers.