Pau Gasol on how difficult it was to tell Kobe Bryant he would leave the Lakers: "He was very supportive and he understood"

Yahoo

15-07-2025

Pau Gasol on how difficult it was to tell Kobe Bryant he would leave the Lakers: "He was very supportive and he understood" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Pau Gasol could never have imagined that his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers would earn him a brother for life. But that's the relationship he built with Kobe Bryant after he joined the team in 2008.
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Gasol and Bryant clicked immediately, with skill sets complementing each other perfectly. They developed mutual trust and respect, which translated into success on the court — the duo went to three straight Finals between 2008 and 2010, winning two of them.
Winning back-to-back Finals MVPs, Bryant silenced all his critics, who believed he could never win without Shaquille O'Neal. However, he never forgot to credit Gasol for his contributions to the 2009 and 2010 championship runs.
So, when Gasol decided to sign with the Chicago Bulls in 2014, he knew breaking the news to Bryant wasn't going to be easy.
"It was difficult. We have a close friendship. We've been through a lot together, and I'm sure I will miss him. But we talked to each other, and our relationship goes beyond basketball, and we'll always have a friendship," said Gasol, who spent almost seven seasons on the Lakers.
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"It was difficult to talk to him, but he was very supportive and he understood. He just said I had to do what was best for me and what felt right for me, and he was going to support me no matter what. That's what friends and brothers do, and that's what we are," he added.
Bringing out Bryant's soft side
Bryant was aloof. He always minded his own business, even when interacting with his teammates away from the court. But the Spaniard was an exception.
Bryant's drive and obsession with winning often made him overlook the perspective of others, which is a primary reason why he earned the tag of a difficult teammate during his career. However, his friendship with Gasol helped him develop this facet of his personality.
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The seven-footer once revealed how he brought out Bryant's soft side.
"He's a big brother I never had. He had a very kind and loving side. I think that's something I influence in a way. I said it's okay to be normal, to be vulnerable or soft at times. He was trying to be the best father in the world. He embraced his daughters. That kindness, that softness, that love from a dad to a daughter," stated Gasol.
Related: Rick Fox explains why Kobe never hung out with other teammates: "He was on a course and any minute or day wasted doing something else was going to slow him down getting to that point"
A special bond with Kobe's family
Gasol spent a lot of time with the Bryant family, so much so that he was named Godfather to Kobe and Vanessa's eldest daughter, Natalia. Mrs. Bryant, meanwhile, was the godmother to Gasol's first child, Elisabet Gianna.
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After the tragic passing of Kobe and Gianna, Pau made sure to stand by Vanessa and her daughters. The two families continue to spend quality time together, whether it's celebrating birthdays or taking trips together.
Gasol is undoubtedly the type of friend everyone wants in their lives. His commitment and care towards the Bryant family speak volumes about him as an individual.
The same was the case when he was teammates with the Lakers legend. Unfortunately, their iconic run had to come to an end.
Related: Kobe Bryant said Lakers fans didn't appreciate Pau Gasol: "For a guy that has two championships to be treated that way, you don't do that"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.