Every once in a while, there comes a moment in sports that becomes so iconic, it ripples through time and gets louder with each retelling. The 2008 Olympics weren’t just about gold medals—it was about a statement, a mindset, and one very specific shoulder check. Early in the gold medal game against Spain, Kobe Bryant bulldozed through a screen set by his Lakers teammate, sending a clear message: friendship means nothing when legacy is on the line. To this day, fans and players still talk about it—not just the hit itself, but what it symbolized: the return of American basketball supremacy, the rise of Mamba Mentality on the international stage, and the moment everyone realized Kobe wasn’t just part of the Redeem Team—he was the Redeem Team. Recently, a surprising twist emerged from that legendary campaign, and it came straight from the brother of the man on the receiving end of Kobe Bryant’s infamous hit.

Now, let’s go back in time for a second. The 2008 Redeem Team was stacked with talent – LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, the best of the best. But even among those stars, there was one man who stood out for his intensity and leadership: Kobe Bryant. While most of the team was still rising to their prime, Kobe Bryant had already made his name for being ice-cold under pressure. And Kobe had just brought that same fire to the Beijing Olympics. What followed was a character-defining Olympic moment. This one was not about the stats or highlights, but about sending a message.

You, by now, know the story: Kobe Bryant faced his Lakers teammate, Pau Gasol, as an opponent for Spain. He ran straight through him during the game’s opening minutes, striking him to the ground. It was deliberate, calculated, and cold. And now, years later, Pau’s younger brother Marc Gasol has come forward to share what happened behind the scenes of that flaming encounter. “When Kobe came across and hit your brother, what was going through your mind?” the host of Out of the Mud Podcast asked Marc. Without hesitation, Marc responded with a laugh, “Get up big fella… get up, ain’t nothing wrong with you man, just basketball.” That was the moment the world saw Kobe’s shark-like killer instinct. Kobe Bryant was not just a scorer, but a tone-setter. And in the initial minutes of the match, Kobe Bryant successfully set the tone against the Spanish team.

Marc revealed how intense the game truly was, calling it the “closest” Spain ever came to beating Team USA. He admitted he was desperate to play on the court, but picked up four fouls early and had to watch from the sidelines as the game slipped away. And the moment that sealed it? Kobe’s clutch three-pointer late in the game. “He silenced the crowd,” Marc recalled. What made it all even crazier? Kobe Bryant had visited Pau just that morning, laughing and joking like nothing was about to go down. “I’m like what the **** you doing here?” Marc laughed. He came to visit his brother. That’s Kobe.

More than teammates: Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant

Can a cold Olympic standoff define a relationship? Nope! Not when it comes to Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant! What looked like a brutal hit during the 2008 Olympics was just one moment in their friendship. This friendship ran far deeper than most people ever got to know.

Their time with the Lakers was legendary. Together, they reached three straight Finals and brought home two championships. Pau Gasol played a crucial role alongside Kobe to win Game 7 in 2010 to secure the championship. Gasol delivered 19 points and 18 rebounds, proving that he wasn’t just Kobe’s general, he was his equal in battle.

But the real beauty of their relationship came after the games were over. They weren’t just teammates, they were brothers, bonding over wine, family, and conversations about life. Kobe even made a heartfelt deal with Pau: “Send me your sons and I’ll teach them to fight,” and in return, “I’ll send you my daughters so you can teach them about culture,” revealed Pau Gasol.

When Kobe and Gianna passed in 2020, Pau’s world shifted! In his Jersey retirement ceremony in 2023, Pau got emotional and revealed he misses Kobe, the brother who uplifted him. Eight months after the helicopter crash, his daughter was born. He named his daughter Elisabet Gianna, an emotional tribute to Gigi. “She was a mini-Kobe,” Pau said. “To me, she will always be a presence to my daughter.” That is some powerful statement. From championship runs to raising their next generation together, the love between the Bryants and the Gasols only grew stronger with time.