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Pau Gasol knows that his two NBA championships wouldn’t have come without the late Kobe Bryant by his side on the court. Gasol recalled their bond as he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Gasol said Bryant, who died along with his daughter, Gianna, and others in a helicopter crash in 2020, "elevated my game like no other." And it began immediately when the Memphis Grizzlies traded him to the Lakers during the 2007-2008 season.
He shared an anecdote that spoke to Bryant’s hunger for winning NBA championships the night that Gasol was traded. Gasol was sent to Washington, D.C., to meet up with the Lakers, and since it was late at night and Los Angeles’ game was at noon the next day, he didn’t think he’d be meeting his teammates until the morning.
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Pau Gasol is shown at the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on August 12, 2023, in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bryant, though, wanted to stay up to meet his new center.
"He was texting me, saying, ‘Hey, I want to come by your room, and I want to welcome you, want to say hello, want to welcome you to the team,'" Gasol said. "I said, ‘It’s going to be late. It’s going to be like past 1 a.m. You sure you don’t want to wait for tomorrow?’"
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Bryant, of course, insisted that he and Gasol speak. Gasol said that winning was the topic of conversation, recalling that Bryant was "straight to the chase," to which Gasol replied, "I’m in."
Gasol and Bryant would create a dynamic duo that made it to the NBA Finals three years straight, winning back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.
"I know some people in the league were upset about the trade, but it happened, right, and that’s where I got to know the person who elevated my game like no other," Gasol said. "Who taught me what it took to win at the highest level. Who showed me how hard you had to work and the mentality you needed to have in order to be the best. The commitment you had to make. What it meant, and what it took, to be a leader."
Pau Gasol #16 and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait after defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009, in Orlando, Florida. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Gasol spent six-plus seasons working alongside Bryant and a stacked Lakers squad prior to joining the Chicago Bulls before the 2014-2015 campaign. Gasol’s seven seasons with the Lakers produced 17.7 points per game with 9.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists over 429 contests.
"I wouldn’t be here without you, brother," Gasol said of Bryant. "I wish more than anything that you and [Gianna] were here today with us. I miss you and love you. Thank you."
Gasol also thanked Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, for being in attendance on Saturday night.
Gasol was a six-time All-Star, three of which came in a Lakers uniform. Over 18 seasons in the league, he averaged 17 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 50.7% from the field.
Pau Gasol speaks during the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2023, in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
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He was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Becky Harman.