Lakers: Pau Gasol Being Traded to LA and playing with Kobe Bryant "Changed His Life"
Lakers legend Pau Gasol recently sat down with Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports and talked about his long NBA career, his Olympic career, and his overall contributions to the world of basketball. He was promoting his docuseries, "Pau Gasol: It's About The Journey."
Gasol said that the "moment that shifted my career was the trade to the Lakers because that opened up a whole different dimension."
The part of his interview that was so fascinating though, was his friendship with the late Kobe Bryant. Bryant was notoriously difficult to form a friendship with because of his drive and obsession to win. Gasol said he learned so much from Bryant. When asked what Bryant learned from Gasol, Gasol was humble and said he didn't think he taught him anything, but that a close friend told him this wasn't true.
"A close person to him told me that I taught him empathy, which is something that I guess I'm honored and proud of to share that with him."
Okay somebody is cutting onions? It gets even better. Gasol said he learned a lot from Bryant.
"I learned first-hand what it meant to be the best. The effort, the commitment [and] the work ethic he had was unparalleled. It inspired so many players, not just on his team but beyond his team. It inspired a generation, probably multiple generations of players that we see today."
Bryant's reputation for being the hardest worker in NBA history is the stuff of legends, and many of Bryant's former teammates and NBA peers have confessed his work ethic drove theirs.
Gasol was also a tremendous man off the court. Speaking about his off-the-court choices, Gasol spoke of a bigger picture.
"It wasn't just about championships or points or All-Stars. It's what do you do with that? If you don't do anything, or you fall in love with that alone, once that's over, what do you have? Who are you? To me, it's about being true to yourself, knowing who you are as a person, and utilizing the opportunities that you have at hand in order to have a bigger impact and actually leave a true legacy beyond your profession."
Gasol's clearly a man with heart. His heart is what led him to his retirement choice. His choice was also partly inspired by his "hermano" Bryant.
"He was a great girl dad, a great dad to his daughters, a great family guy, and that's something that I want to be — a great dad to my daughter."
Ok forget the onion excuse. I'm straight up in tears. Gasol not only will be remembered as a Lakers legend, but a wonderful man.
