Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol has been in the midst of trade rumors for several seasons now, and he was on the brink of being traded last off-season. The Lakers won two consecutive titles with Gasol in 2009 and 2010, but his last two playoff performances made many fans frustrated.
Kobe Bryant was right alongside Gasol for those two rings and the teammates have developed great chemistry with each other. Even though Bryant has expressed his anger towards Gasol for his play, the Spaniard still has the support of the Lakers’ superstar.
Kobe, answering a question from a Spanish reporter about Pau’s status with the Lakers: “As long as I’m there, he’s going to be there.”
— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) July 21, 2012
Bryant and Gasol developed an amazing duo when they first joined forces in Los Angeles, and they still can be very effective. Although Gasol had trouble adjusting to a system other than the Triangle offense, he can still play well under Mike Brown.
The Lakers also recently acquired Steve Nash, and he can surely make Gasol play more effectively with the new system. Thus, it is expected that Gasol will have another renaissance year in 2012-13. He and Bryant will be seeing a lot of each other this summer during the Olympics, and that will strengthen their bond even more.
Bryant likes nothing better than winning and when his teammates do their jobs. With Gasol and Nash running the pick-and-roll, Gasol will get easy buckets and Kobe will have to do less work. The Lakers were deadly when Gasol became an offensive threat, and Nash can make the Spaniard just that.