Kobe Bryant and Buddy Hield cause a stir during Sweet 16 game

Buddy Hield is on his way to the NBA as soon as his senior season ends with the Oklahoma Sooners, but he won’t get the opportunity to play against Kobe Bryant when he gets there because Bryant will retire after this season.

So Hield wasn’t going to be stopped on Thursday when he saw his chance to introduce himself to one of the greatest players in history.

[All out of miracles, Texas A&M succumbs to old rival Oklahoma]

After scoring 17 points in a victory against Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 in Anaheim, Calif., Hield went out into the crowd to shake hands with Bryant, who was sitting among Duke fans watching the Blue Devils take on Oregon on Saturday in the Elite Eight.  Bryant was there to support coach Mike Krzyzewski and his team. They have a lengthy relationship through USA Basketball that goes back to the days when Bryant was a high school recruit. (Duke lost, a familiar theme for Bryant this season)

Seeing the two stars shaking hands and chatting briefly caused quite a stir in the arena and social media.

Bryant wasn’t the only notable name in the house to support the Blue Devils. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who earned his master’s degree at Duke, also came to root for the defending national champs.

It's possible that Hield could end up being drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick in the NBA draft in June, but most analysts don't see Hield being selected that high. The Lakers have only one pick in the first round this year.

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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo