Back in 2011, there was almost a blockbuster trade that would have changed so much about the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA as a whole. Of course everyone is now aware of the infamous three-way trade that would have sent Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom out and brought Chris Paul to the Lakers.
Because of a unique situation where the NBA had taken ownership over the New Orleans Hornets, they had the power to veto the trade, doing so for ‘basketball reasons’ as they felt the Hornets should receive more in return. This would then create an awkward situation for Gasol and Odom, who then had to return to the Lakers after believing they were gone.
Gasol recently spoke on his mindset following the veto in an appearance on the LADE Show with Odom and Aron Cohen. The Lakers legend noted that he simply chose to focus on what he could control, but admitted it was very difficult to do so:
“From my perspective, I went in and had a meeting with Mitch [Kupchak] and Mike Brown who was the coach and I said to myself: I love this city, I love this team, I understand why you guys might’ve decided to go that route. Would I agree with it or not obviously I’m not gonna get into that, but I’m gonna control what I can control and I’m gonna still be grateful and thankful to be here and I’m gonna do my best to help this team as I have done in the past.
“But it was difficult, because you can’t shake that off that easily as much as I tried in many ways. Because now its like this can happen. This can happen yesterday, this can happen tomorrow.”
Gasol’s maturity in such a situation is truly admirable and even Odom admitted that he wished he could have been that mature at that time. Being traded after winning multiple championships makes players question a lot of things and to have to try and patch things up after believing your time is done is something anyone would struggle with.
And with Gasol being so close to Kobe Bryant, there was a question as to how Kobe himself acted in the situation. Gasol opened up about that as well, noting that Kobe simply asked for management to be straight forward and decisive in what they did:
“I think what I remember him saying, not just to me but to everyone else was like, ‘Hey, management make a decision. Stop going back and forth, if you wanna keep him, keep him.’ But players need to have, to some degree, peace of mind so they can be fully committed and they can give you their best […] But Kobe was like, basically more from the organization to me just saying, ‘Be direct with him because that’s gonna help him do what he does to the best of his ability.’
“I don’t know how much he was involved or not or how much of a say or didn’t. I don’t think he tried to get involved too much with that knowing him. But he always kind of stood up for his teammates and was there when he could be.”
Gasol’s recollection very much sounds like something Kobe would do. He wasn’t one to tiptoe around things he simply would want the decision to be made so the Lakers could focus on the task at hand. Nonetheless, Gasol handled the entire ordeal with a grace and maturity that most could only dream of and it is why he remains so beloved.
Lakers legend Pau Gasol wants to pass Kobe Bryant mindset to younger generation
Pau Gasol has truly committed himself to making sure the legend of Kobe Bryant never dies and he has done everything possible to ensure his friend and Lakers teammate is always here in some way. Of course Kobe was known for his killer mindset and work ethic and Gasol believes it is the responsibility of his generation to pass that down to the younger generation.
Gasol noted on the LADE Show that it is their responsibility to pass this down to the up-and-comers of today. He noted that there is “no replacement for hard work, for dedication, for commitment” and they should be pushing the new generation to be the best versions of themselves.
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