It is no secret that Kobe Bryant is tough to play with. Kobe has gone through different teammates over the years while with the Los Angeles Lakers and only a select few have had good things to say about playing with the five-time NBA champion.
Pau Gasol is one of those few that have enjoyed Kobe’s company on-and-off the court. Not only has Kobe helped Gasol win two titles and potentially a spot in the Hall of Fame someday, but the Spaniard also thinks very highly of his long-time teammate.
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Apparently, not only has Gasol cherished the team playing alongside Kobe, but he hopes the friendship between the two lasts a lifetime according to a passage in Gasol’s book, Life Vida, via Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report:
“I know he might not need many things, but if he needs a true friend who is going to support him, he can definitely count on me. We have a great friendship that I hope will last our entire lives.”
Although Kobe didn’t see eye-to-eye with Shaquille O’Neal towards the end of their time together in Los Angeles and also had his fair share of problems with Dwight Howard, Gasol is a different breed that was able to coexist with the superstar guard. Kobe can be as difficult a personalty and ego to deal with, but Gasol seemed to roll with the punches and has two NBA titles as a result.
With Gasol’s time in Los Angeles seemingly coming to an end, the Kobe-Gasol era of the Lakers will be looked upon as a successful partnership that was able to endure the good times and the bad.
Now that Gasol is set to become a free agent this summer, there’s a good chance he’ll sign elsewhere in search of a third title and a lucrative deal. Although Kobe and Pau will likely not end their careers together, these two stars were able to make it work and will be thought of as one of the best dynamic duos in NBA history when it is all said and done.
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Pau Gasol Expects Kobe Bryant To Remain Positive Even IF Out For Season