Basketball royalty was honored on Saturday night as the 2023 class, which includes the likes of Los Angeles Lakers legend Pau Gasol, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and point guard Tony Parker, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, among others, were officially enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
It’s the sport’s highest honor and a well-deserving one for Gasol, who was traded to the Lakers in 2008 and won two championships alongside Kobe Bryant.
The two were very close friends and even brothers, so naturally Gasol shared some words for Bryant and his family during his Hall of Fame speech:
Teammates. Friends. Brothers.
Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. @Hoophall inductees.
?: The #23HoopClass Enshrinement is live on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/lGWKjKwBYS
— NBA (@NBA) August 13, 2023
“The person who elevated my game like no other,” Gasol said of Bryant. “Who taught me what it took to win at the highest level. Who showed me how hard you had to work and the mentality you needed to have in order to be the best. The commitment you had to make, what it meant and took to be a leader.”
Gasol went on to share that shortly after the trade went down and he met the team in Washington, Kobe reached out to welcome him. It was 1 a.m. at the time but Bryant insisted it wasn’t too late even though the team had a game the next day at noon.
“He said ‘Welcome to the team. I’m happy you’re here. Now let’s go win a championship together.’ So I said ‘I’m in. Have a good night.’ And that was it,” Gasol chuckled.
The chemistry between the two both on and off the floor was immediate and it led to special things right away, making three straight NBA Finals and winning back-to-back championships in 2009-10.
Gasol has already spoken about how vital Bryant was to him making it to this point where he is entering the Hall of Fame and expressed understandable disapointment that he wasn’t able to be there on the stage with him.
“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother. I wish more than anything that you and Gigi were here today with us. I miss you and love you. Thank you.”
Gasol also thanked Kobe’s wife Vanessa for being in attendance as the families remain extremely close to this day.
Jackson admits to reluctance to Gasol trade at first
While Bryant was immediately on board with the addition of Gasol, one person who wasn’t was head coach Phil Jackson as he didn’t believe the Spaniard could play the center position full time while Andrew Bynum was out. Jackson eventually agreed to the deal though and it obviously worked out great for everyone.
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