Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol not only formed an excellent duo on the court that led the Los Angeles Lakers to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, but the pair also became extremely close friends off it as well. Gasol has often referred to Kobe as his brother and his tragic passing undoubtedly affected the Spaniard.
Now that Gasol is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he is able to again reflect on his time shared on the court with Bryant on the Lakers. And in an interview with Broderick Turner of the L.A. Times, Gasol made it clear that Kobe played an absolutely crucial role in him attaining this accomplishment:
“A critical role, I think a very unique role. He’s definitely one of the players that elevated me like no other. He pushed me to be not just one of the better power forwards in the league, but to become the best out there on a nightly basis during our time and our run together. I was very fortunate to be able to join the Lakers when I did, to have Kob as a teammate, as a mentor, as an older brother. I’m going to miss him tremendously during this day, as I do on a regular basis. But obviously when you get this type of honor, and when a person has played such a big role in you accomplishing it, you would love for him to be there.”
But even with Bryant no longer here, Gasol has maintained an excellent relationship with Bryant’s wife Vanessa and children. Gasol considers Kobe’s family to be his family and he is grateful to have them as part of he and his family’s life:
“It’s a blessing. It means the world to me to be able to have such a close relationship, a family really relationship with Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka and Capri and spend time together, be a family really, to be an uncle to those girls, to be a brother to Vanessa. It’s very special. Very special. Something that is dear to my heart, to my family’s heart, as well. Obviously Vanessa is the godmother to our daughter, Elisabet Gianna. That’s forever. That’s forever for me. That’s for life. That true, a unique, type of love that obviously was enhanced through Kobe.”
There are simply some things that are bigger than basketball. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol’s relationship may have began as teammates on the Lakers, but it now stretches far beyond the court and even as he is headed to the Hall of Fame, he appreciates everything the Bryant family has meant for him.
Former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak recalls how Pau Gasol trade went down
Of course the trade that brought Gasol to the Lakers is one that was controversial as many felt the Grizzlies were fleeced in the deal. But former Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak doesn’t believe that was the case as he recently recalled how everything went down.
Kupchak noted that he offered the Grizzlies the choice of multiple players that could match Gasol’s salary or a package centered around Kwame Brown that would give Memphis salary cap relief and they chose the latter.
The current Hornets general manager added that the Lakers sending Marc Gasol in the deal also helped to even things out as he became arguably the greatest player in Grizzlies franchise history.
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