Pau Gasol Reveals The 2 Sides Of Kobe Bryant
Pau Gasol Reveals The 2 Sides Of Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend.
Ahead of the big event, one of Bryant’s greatest allies on the court, Pau Gasol, offered his thoughts on his former teammate.
In an interview with Broderick Turner of Los Angeles Times, Gasol opened up about the two sides of Bryant that he got to see: the inspirational figure that touched the lives of fans around the globe, and the unsentimental but caring friend who pushed him to do better.
“The way he impacted the world, I think beyond the world of sports … beyond basketball, how he touched so many people, inspired so many people … Kobe went beyond that and above that,” Gasol said.
“He wasn’t much of a sentimental guy, he was like ‘snap out of it … let’s get to it, there’s no time to waste.’ He would try to, I guess, inspire you and encourage you when he needed you to be inspired and encouraged, but he would also try to intimidate you when he wanted to get the better of you.”
Gasol and Bryant were extremely close, particularly as their careers progressed. He ended up taking his good friend’s passing extremely hard, but the Spanish hoops legend didn’t let that deter him from taking care of Bryant’s family.
That’s one way to watch a game. https://t.co/rlfZSR4DDe
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 13, 2021
When Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s 20th anniversary rolled around a couple of months back, Gasol made sure the date was recognized and sent a special gift.
When Halloween rolled around this year, Gasol went out of his way to make sure that Kobe’s kids had a proper celebration.
The bond Bryant and Gasol established as members of the Lakers was truly special to watch, and it’s incredible to see that even with Bryant gone Gasol is committed to making sure his memory stays alive forever.
Related: Gary Payton On Why NBA Vets Hated Kobe Bryant
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
