via Getty
Lakers from left Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol huddle as they trail the Mavericks at the Staples Center Tuesday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
via Getty
Lakers from left Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol huddle as they trail the Mavericks at the Staples Center Tuesday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were a formidable partnership. They played for six and a half seasons together. Kobe won the MVp in the 2007-08 season, but he gave a lot of credit to Paul Gasol for that season. Even in seasons to come, the Los Angeles Lakers won two consecutive NBA championships in the next 2 years. The double in the years 2008-09 and 2009-10 was because of the unbreakable partnership of Kobe and Pau.
Kobe, in many terms, was like Michael Jordan. His attitude, arrogance, his drive and desire to win every time and against everyone made him intimidating. Obviously NOT speaking from experience, but as former players and NBA superstars recall, Kobe was more friendly than Michael Jordan. And that is why he formed a tremendous relationship with Pau Gasol on and off the court.
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The duo knew each other and wanted to play with each other long before they actually did. When they met a year before the trade in Barcelona, they were both unhappy with teams they were in. Moreover, they wanted to play together and the only way that could have happened was Pau joining the Lakers.
Read more: Pau Gasol reveals how Kobe was close to leaving Lakers at one stage.
The Spanish center had an amazing time with the Lakers, and he fit right in. He was the perfect support for Kobe at the time.
Does Pau Gasol deserve the honor of retiring his jersey for the time with Kobe Bryant in Lakers?
It is no doubt that with the speed and style of teams ever changing in the NBA, Kobe needed someone to be the supporting role for him and the Lakers. Even more so, he needed the second protagonist. Kobe and Shaq bossed the NBA, but it ended in 2004. Kobe and the Lakers had to wait 4 more years to have someone be on the front foot for them. Pau Gasol was the man for the job. But how does he rank in the list of Lakers legends? Does he deserve to have his jersey retired by the Lakers? NBA fans give a mixed reaction.
Where as I do agree that Kob for sure needed him, Pau quit on us after 2010. I can’t put him up there
— Hollywood Ginger (@H0LLYW00DGinger) May 9, 2022
He has 5 instead of 2 because he started his career with Shaq
— ⚫️hgtp://BenGay⚛️ (@BenGay24) May 10, 2022
he gotta make the HOF first, he's nominated this year so if he does make it they will definitely retire his jersey
— part time Grizzlies (1-3) and Bucks (2-2) fan (@LvR_BS) May 10, 2022
if they're retiring number 2 for the lakers it'll be for GiGi first and derek fisher was a fuckin role player calm down lmao and got beat up by matt barnes
— madam sandler (@cannedmud) May 9, 2022
Fuck no haah Kobe avg 28.6/8/4 in that finals against Boston your reaching !!!
— YoungZamani (@FarshadZamani) May 10, 2022
Don’t think Fisher ever gets up there and it’s so wrong!
— Joshua Nicholls (@JNicholls24) May 10, 2022
I get what you are saying, but Gasol helped get Kobe an additional 2 rings to add on the 3 he got with Shaq. I could go either way with that, Gasol was always a really good player, but it wasn't until he got to the Lakers when he had a shot to compete for rings.
— James T Hepworth (@JamesTHepworth) May 10, 2022
Could you please copy and paste this into every thread on this?
People need to get the connection.
Thank you.— Kevin Petty (@Kevmastime) May 10, 2022
I'd also like to add that all of those players only James Worthy wasn't a first ballot Hall of Famer and Pau is definitely going in the first time for both his international and NBA achievements. It doesn't make sense to not retire his jersey until after he's in the Hall of Fame.
— Adrian Malhiers (@AdrianMalhiers) May 10, 2022
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Kobe got retired before. But then Pau officially retired less than 12 months ago. He'll certainly get it retired
— Megamind (@alewawura) May 10, 2022
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WATCH THIS STORY: Kobe’s best teammates featuring Pau Gasol, Shaq and more.
Pau Gasol was iconic with Kobe Bryant. But the fact remains that he was that iconic because of the partnership with Kobe. If Kobe had actually left, and it was Gasol in the Lakers, would he have won two consecutive NBA championships without Kobe? Would he have been iconic then? While that is hypothetical because we saw the duo flourish but the question remains. Does Pau Gasol deserve the honor of getting his jersey retired by the Lakers?
