TRON co-founder and CEO Justin Sun has announced that basketball player Kobe Bryant will be speaking at TRON’s blockchain summit in San Francisco next year, but do celebrities really have a place in the crypto arena?

Sun – a clear admirer of Bryant’s talents and willpower – says he’s been a huge fan of the basketball player for a long time and describes him as an “investment genius.” Bryant will speak to attendees about his life experiences and investing knowledge to potentially boost TRON adoption and know-how.

Sun exclaims:

I have been a huge fan of Kobe and deeply inspired by his journey. It’s my great honor to have Kobe as our special guest for the niTROn Summit. It’s worth mentioning that Kobe Bryant is not only a basketball genius, but also an investment genius. We look forward to hearing his great speeches at the summit.

What Does Kobe Bryant Have to do With Blockchain?

No doubt Bryant holds some unique investing experience. The b-ball icon recently turned $6 million into a whopping $200 million after the Coca-Cola company purchased a minority stake in an energy drink in which Bryant was the main shareholder.

At the same time, the direction of Bryant’s involvement in TRON feels somewhat thrown together and disorganized, as representatives aren’t even sure yet what Bryant is planning to do or say, nor can they comment on how his life experiences can really push TRON adoption. Also, what are Bryant’s connections – if any – to blockchain?

A spokesman for the company has explained:

We can’t draw any conclusions about his involvement in blockchain for now.

No Place in Crypto for Celebs?

It appears that celebrities don’t really hold any place in the cryptocurrency arena. Recently, Snapchat king DJ Khaled and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. served as the celebrity faces of a new company called Centra Tech which sold and distributed products centered around cryptocurrencies.

Unfortunately, the company’s glory was short lived after the owners were arrested on charges of using the business to run a potential crypto scam. While Khaled and Mayweather are likely to escape jail time, the two are now at the center of a lawsuit involving the alleged fraud. Not even celebrity status can shield you from civil charges.

At Ripple’s recent Swell conference, former president Bill Clinton was chosen as the event’s primary speechmaker, though his entrance into the blockchain space was less than welcome amongst most crypto advocates, and the American leader suddenly found himself the subject of ongoing (and hilarious) memes on Twitter.

Can Bryant really do much for TRON’s future? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock, Flickr/Boixoesnois