Kobe Bryant is known for many things, but being a good teammate is generally not one of them. Through public feuds with Shaq and tales of his not getting along with less-talented and less-motivated teammates, his reputation as someone who many would not like to play with speaks for itself.
But according to Pau Gasol, that is not truly the case. Gasol was traded to the Lakers in 2008 helping lead the team to three straight Finals and two championships. While he has moved on to Chicago and will likely join yet another team this summer, he has not forgotten about his time with Bryant and the Lakers.
In a piece penned for Sports Illustrated, with help from Lee Jenkins, Gasol wrote about his relationship with Bryant from the time they first met to now, one day before the latter’s retirement as a professional basketball player.
Among other things, Gasol calls he and Kobe “a perfect fit,” able to play with immense efficiency and skill on the court while pushing each other and becoming perfect foils of each other off of it.
If you play with him, you’re looking every day at living proof of why the greats are the greats. It’s not by accident. It’s an obsession to reach that level and remain at that level. The dedication, the commitment, is such a unique thing. You don’t find it. He inspired me to be better, to see the game in a more detailed way.
We beat the Magic in the 2009 Finals, and everybody was happy, but it was different for him. It had a special meaning. Basketball was his life, and winning was his devotion. I’m not taking anything away from his family, which means the world to him, but basketball had so much depth to it.
That relationship between Gasol and Bryant was huge for the Lakers as they won those two straight titles. And it led to a friendship that extended beyond the court with Bryant repeatedly sticking up for his teammate when he was involved in trade rumors and becoming Gasol’s confidant when the latter was choosing to leave in free agency.
Pau reminisced about those days with high praise for Bryant as a player but also as a teammate.
I signed with the Bulls because I wanted to put myself in position to win another title. I haven’t been able to do that. I miss him a lot. I miss his presence. I miss that attitude. Not many players have it.
