It is no secret that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant mostly preferred the ‘lone wolf’ lifestyle when he was in the league. While several NBA stars tend to develop close bonds and friendships with fellow players, Kobe arguably struggled with letting people in his inner circle. However, that changed when a particular basketball superstar joined the Lakers during Bryant’s twelfth year with the LA franchise. The bond they built is still one of the most talked about league relationships and a recent gesture by fans only further reminded the NBA world of his iconic stint with the Lakers.

When Kobe was drafted into the league, one of the few stars he had locked horns with was Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. While the Big Aristotle and the Black Mamba played for the same team, they could never see eye-to-eye once they were off the court. Despite their bittersweet rivalry, the duo led the Lakers to their second three-peat in the franchise’s history before Shaq was eventually traded to the Miami Heat in 2008. Following Bryant’s death, Diesel has time and again expressed his regret for not being able to form a bond with his former teammate.

Pau Gasol gets honored by his hometown

In August 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that they will be retiring Spanish Basketball veteran Pau Gasol’s jersey No. 16. The 2x NBA champion will be honored at the Lakers’ home court Crypto.com Arena on March 7. Ahead of that, Gasol’s hometown Sant Boi’s del Llobregat honored him by hanging a giant Lakers No. 16 jersey from a three-storied building.

The gesture brought back certain memories from Gasol’s six-year stint with the Lakers, during which he had formed a tight relationship with former teammate Kobe Bryant. Gasol had entered the league in 2001 as the third overall pick. After playing for the Memphis Grizzlies for seven seasons, he was traded to the Lakers in 2008.

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The former basketball center won two championships during his time with the Lakers. Following that, the 6x NBA All-Star played for three other NBA teams before he finally made his exit from the league in 2019.

Twitterati showers Gasol with praises

As pictures of the huge jersey began making rounds on the internet, fans reminisced about the good old days with nostalgia. Several Twitter users posted pictures and short clips of Kobe and Gasol clearly missing their partnership. One fan wrote, ‘Crying in the club’.

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Whereas, another user wrote, ‘I always appreciate this Spaniard. He was never afraid of Kobe’s leadership and just kept getting even more better and had that dawg in him’. Below are a few more tweets.

Gasol and Bryant were not just teammates but family as well. In the six years that Gasol played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he and Kobe became as close as brothers. It is said that Gasol was among the very few people who had successfully moved past Bryant’s tough barrier. In fact, when news of the tragic Calabasas accident reached Gasol, he and his wife had moved back from Spain to be close to Kobe’s family. Since then, the relationship between the Gasol and the Bryant family has been stronger than ever.