Vanessa Bryant sends Pau Gasol, wife Catherine awesome early Christmas gift

The widow of Kobe Bryant spreads the holiday spirit before Thanksgiving with a cool present to her late husband’s former Lakers teammate and his wife.

Vanessa Bryant before the ceremonial first pitch prior to the regular season MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Vanessa Bryant spread the holiday cheer a bit early this year. Before Thanksgiving, the widow of Kobe Bryant gave good friend and Kobe’s former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol and his wife Catherine Gasol an awesome gift.

Kobe and Pau were teammates for seven years in LA from 2007-2014 and won two championship (2009, 2010). They were very close off the court as well. Following his and Gigi Bryant’s death in 2020, Vanessa and her three daughters have remained very close to the Gasols. The kids even call him “uncle” and Vanessa “brother.”

March 7, 2023: Pau Gasol embraces Vanessa Bryant during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime in the NBA. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

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We saw the families together for a ski trip last year where Vanessa and her daughter Natalia, 22, had matching fits on the slopes, and then just for Halloween where both families dressed up as “Toy Story” characters.

Gasols and Bryants | Vanessa Bryant/Instagram

Pau and Cat, as she goes by, have helped Vanessa through hard times like sending her a sweet gift on her would-be anniversary with Kobe. She’s returned the favors with gifts like last year’s edition of the Kobe “Christmas” sneakers.

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Now, before Thanksgiving, she sent them the Nike Kobe 9 Low EM “China” sneakers which are holiday red. Cat wrote on Instagram, “Wow. Christmas came early❣️😍🤤 @mambamambacitasports @vanessabryant.”

Cat Gasol/Instagram

What an awesome early Christmas gift.

No doubt, Kobe would be smiling seeing his wife spreading the holiday spirit to the Gasol family.

The retired jersey of Los Angeles Lakers former player Pau Gasol is displayed next the jersey of former player Kobe Bryant during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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