“We Did That Perfectly”: Los Angeles Lakers Remember the Deadly Chemistry Between Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol

The ending to the 2000s decade was a perfect one for the Los Angeles Lakers fans, wasn’t it? A historic three-peat to kick start the decade and back-to-back titles to end it. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant formed an unstoppable partnership to muscle their way to three consecutive titles at the start of the 2000s era.

As for the later years in the decade, the Lakers rose back from a terrible form that they endured right after O’Neal left the team. The team needed a player who could enhance the style of Kobe Bryant, as well as carry a part of the team’s burden. 

In 2007, things did not look well for the Lakers in terms of their relationship with Kobe. After a couple of first-round playoff exits, Kobe’s faith in the management deteriorated and there was a possibility of a massive trade that could have changed the course of the NBA. 

But, the Lakers swiftly traded Grizzlies player Pau Gasol to partner Kobe upfront. The inclusion of Gasol in the team made a drastic difference. Kobe’s welcome to Gasol is a much known and well-appreciated story. The pair instantly hit it off and started combing brilliantly to outdo their opponents. 

Gasol earned 5 of his six NBA All-Star appearances while playing for the Lakers. His game improved drastically under Kobe’s guidance. The mamba is always the one to lead by example and his work ethic inspired Gasol to produce his maximum effort on every game night. 

Los Angeles Lakers posted a throwback video of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol’s chemistry

The delightful Kobe-Pau connection always brings joy in the faces of Lakers fans. During the two-championship winning seasons, the duo put on mammoth performances to propel the Lakers all the way to the Finals. 

The Los Angeles Lakers posted a major throwback video on Twitter, highlighting the pair’s chemistry. Moreover, Pau Gasol even reshared the post with purple and gold heart emojis. In the video, we can see Kobe meticulously explaining Gasol about how he made a bounce pass to the Spaniard, which he converted with ease. 

“We did that perfectly, because we were in line the whole time. You’re not behind me, you’re not in front of me. You are right there parallel with me,” Kobe says to Gasol. Then the video shows the above-mentioned move orchestrated by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to earn two points for their team. 

The back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 reflect their massive on-court success. Kobe went into beast mode during these two years. He averaged 26.8 and 27.0 points per game in the 2009 and 2010 regular-season fixtures. Gasol perfectly played a supportive role by carrying a regular-season average of 18.9 and 18.3 PPG in these two years.