NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are cut from the same cloth. The two were not just offensive phenoms, but also defensive juggernauts. Both players were incredibly competitive and obsessed with winning. Also, they worked harder to achieve their dreams. Furthermore, the two were strong leaders who pushed their teammates to be better every day. Recently, the story of Bryant motivating Pau Gasol went viral on social media. The five-time NBA champion’s style of pushing his teammate had the fans going wild.

Notably, Jordan has had altercations with multiple teammates during practices. Similarly, Kobe had a major beef with Shaquille O’Neal. The two had to be separated by teammates and staff on multiple occasions during training sessions.

Kobe Bryant rubbed salt on his teammate’s wound

Pau Gasol was already a superstar when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008. During his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol has had some intense battles with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. However, Bryant was happy about the arrival of the All-Star who immediately strengthened the side. The two instantly synched and had great chemistry on the court.

The duo led the Purple & Gold to the NBA Finals in 2008 but lost the title to rivals Boston Celtics. Then in the 2008 Olympics, Bryant and Gasol played against each other for the Gold medal. The U.S. Redeem Team won the Gold in an intense Final against Spain. Interestingly, the Black Mamba rubbed salt on Gasol’s wounds to motivate him. Notably, Jeanie Buss once talked about the incident as well.

Kobe once revealed the story during an interview and stated that Pau hates it. He revealed that he hung his 2008 Olympic Gold medal in the former center’s locker when the Lakers returned for training camp. Gasol was furious when he saw it on the first day of training camp. Bryant recounted Spain is everything for Gasol so he was not happy with his actions.

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The 18-time NBA All-Star said, “I said ‘Listen, Pau, you lost to the Celtics, you lost to us in the Gold Medal match. Let’s not make this three in a row this year, okay? Let’s win this thing.’ And that was it, fam!”

The reporter was in awe of the story. Ultimately, the push could be termed harsh, but was arguably necessary as the Lakers won two straight championships in 2009 and 2010.

Fans praised Bryant and Gasol

The fans were fascinated with the story of Kobe Bryant motivating Pau Gasol for the season. A lot of fans expressed their take on the comments. Here are some reactions:

“And Pau took that personal…”

“Everyone hates teammates like Kobe while they are in the moment but after the growth you realize how lucky you were to have him as your teammate.”

“Pau might not be the greatest player, but he had that dog in him”

“Never be another Kobe Bryant long live #24 & 8 🙏🏽”

“Mamba mentality for sure , pass it on rest in PEACE Kobe 💔🙏”

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