Why Was Pau Gasol Absent From Kobe Bryant’s Statue Unveiling Event?

“I wouldn’t be here without you brother”  — Pau Gasol could not have been clearer about what Kobe Bryant meant to him. They appeared in 7 different seasons together for the LA Lakers. And not only did the two make it to three consecutive NBA Finals, but won two of them. Now, even with Kobe no longer here, Gasol has taken care of the Bryant family as his own. But then why would he miss his friend’s recently held statue unveiling ceremony?

On Friday, the Lakers unveiled the second of the three statues that the franchise plans to install for Kobe Bryant. This one is quite special though, as it involves the father-daughter duo of Kobe and Gigi outside the Crypto Arena. Inspired by one of their courtside appearances, where the Black Mamba wore an WNBA jersey, the statue highlights the 5x NBA champ as the Most Valuable Girl Dad. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Vanessa Bryant with all her daughters. But Gasol, who usually stands by the side of the Bryant family on such occasions, was missing this time.

It is worth mentioning the 44-year-old is among the members of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission since 2021. Amid the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics, reports suggest Gasol is focusing on enhancing the Olympic experience for the athletes. However, recently he has been occupied, handling a more serious issue of FBI’s investigation.

As per the reports, the agency’s international reach to detain sports officials has developed a sense of concern regarding the investigation of how a Chinese swimmer’s doping case was handled.

The FBI is going after the World Anti-Doping Agency because they accepted what Chinese authorities said back in 2021—that 23 swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart drug. Despite the positive tests, the authorities didn’t suspend these athletes. And they ended up winning three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics just a few weeks later. “So this has to be addressed. And this has to be resolved,” Gasol has said of the recent developments.

Apart from his official commitments, the former Lakers star is occupied on the personal end as well. And this could be another reason that he failed to attend Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling ceremony.

The Spaniard’s family is about to be extended to 5 members

“New Rookie signing! Gasol starting 5, coming this fall 2024 season,” the 2x NBA champ announced in an IG post about a week back. He also shared a series of photos along with his family in the IG post. The photos featured Gasol’s son and daughter donning ‘Big Sister’ and ‘Big Brother’ t-shirts, respectively.

The 6x All Star has issued no official statement regarding his absence. But one can safely assume that personal and professional commitments forced him to miss this one. Notably, Gasol was present on Bryant’s first statue unveiling. The first statue was also unveiled this year itself on February 8.

While the recent one features the father-daughter duo, the Black Mamba’s first statue was a 19-foot bronze memorial to his 81-point game against the Raptors. However, the numerology of both the dates (08/02/24) and (02/08/24) serves a tribute to both Kobe and Gigi. While 8 and 24 refer to the jersey numbers donned by the 18x All Star, number 2 was worn by Gianna Bryant.

Now, not only Pau witnessed the entire ceremony of the first statue but also attended Lakers’ game, after the ceremony. We saw him comforting his god-daughter, Natalia Bryant, amid moments filled with emotions. So it’s clear if he could have, Pau Gasol would have surely made time for his best friend, Kobe Bryant’s recent statue unveiling.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.