Aaron Hernandez's legal team says the inmate who claims to have had a special friendship with the NFL star behind bars is simply trying to get money from the media ... and they won't dignify his claims with an official comment.
The inmate, Kyle Kennedy, has hired a lawyer after reports surfaced Hernandez wrote a suicide letter to him before his death. Kennedy claims they became very close in prison and spent a "great deal of time together."
Hernandez's attorney, Jose Baez, has previously shot down reports Aaron left a note for a gay prison lover -- and tells TMZ Sports his team has more important things to do than address Kennedy's claims.
"Our team is doing serious legal work," Baez says ... "We don’t have the time to stop our efforts and respond to every convicted felon that has something to say about Aaron Hernandez."
He adds, "Quite frankly I’m surprised more inmates have not come forward to make money off the media."