The Los Angeles Lakers have had some of the most iconic players in the NBA don the purple and gold. With players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant to name a few. Recently, the two-time NBA champion and Kobe Bryant?s teammate made news as his jersey got retired by the Lakers. Moreover, the release of an old resurfaced video left fans dewy-eyed.
Pau Gasol was honored by the Los Angeles Lakers as his number 16 jersey will be taking its place in the Lakers rafter. The two-time NBA champion developed one of the most formidable duos with the Late Kobe Bryant.
An old Kobe Bryant video makes fans emotional
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An old video from the Lakers’ 2009 championship run against the Orlando Magic was uploaded by the official account of the team. In the video, Kobe Bryant was seen talking to Gasol about their on-court plays.
Bryant could be seen talking to Gasol about staying ?right in line? with him for a quick shovel pass. And how the two, if they timed the play perfectly, would be unstoppable. Clearly, Gasol got what Bryant was saying as the two pulled it off on the court as shown in another video.
Read More – Why Kobe Bryant Changed His Lakers Jersey Number From No.8 to No.24
?Not only fans got emotional but also appreciated ?The Black Mamba? and his knowledge of the game. One fan tweeted, ?This is art.?
This is art https://t.co/0OW30VHBW5
— dphamous (@dphamous1) March 7, 2023
While another fan commented, ?High quality basketball!!!? I hope we realise just how damn good these guys were.?
High quality basketball!!! I hope we realise just how damn good these guys were
— Rod J Davis (@CEORJD) March 7, 2023
Here are a few more reactions from fans on Twitter.
2️⃣4️⃣♾️1️⃣6️⃣
— TK7 (@ThomasKurniady) March 7, 2023
One week later https://t.co/zBcUvBAnfm
— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) March 7, 2023
damn this made me emotional🥲 pic.twitter.com/VGKjTYV5Q7
— 🧘🏾♂️ (@bdrip1k) March 7, 2023
Love watching old footage from their run, Pau x Kobe was tough.
— Josh Bhagratie (@JBhagratie) March 7, 2023
A majority of the fans could be seen getting emotional in the comments section. While others hyped this duo up.
Gasol on his jersey becoming immortal
The duo of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol went on to win back-to-back championships for the city of Los Angeles. After losing to the Boston Celtics in the previous year before their two championships, Bryant and Gasol really locked in.
At the time, Bryant and Gasol developed into a great one-two combo for the Lakers. Despite a hardened Western Conference, this duo and the Lakers were able to rise above and bring two more championships to the team.
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Watch This Story – Kobe Bryant’s best Lakers teammates featuring Shaquille O’Neal to Pau Gasol
When Gasol was asked about the Lakers retiring his number, he got emotional. The Spaniard said, ?My jersey will be up there with those great amazing players and names in the history of our game, and obviously being next to Kobe, seeing his name, still emotional.?
Pau Gasol shared his thoughts on getting his jersey retired alongside Kobe Bryant and other Laker greats.
More from @mcten: https://t.co/uZI8fz8nHa pic.twitter.com/7Dj9vMTz8e
— ESPN (@espn) March 6, 2023
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The world lost Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, which affected the entire sports world. Our prayers and respects go out to the Bryant family as they recuperate from this terrible loss.