Pau Gasol reflects on his ‘brother,’ Kobe Bryant

Pau Gasol shares what his ‘brother,’ Kobe Bryant, meant to him

, Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein and Mark E. Potts

Feb. 13, 2020 12:56 PM PT

Pau Gasol came to the Lakers in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2007-08 season and quickly clicked with Kobe Bryant, both on and off the court.

Raised in Europe, Bryant had much in common with the Spanish center/forward. Gasol says they were “brothers,” but the kind of sibling who knew how to push his buttons — and it worked. Gasol credits Bryant and his blunt “Mamba mentality” for pushing him to his greatest professional heights. Together, they led the Lakers to consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010.

Their bond remained long after Gasol left the Lakers in 2014, and he remembers Bryant as a man whose legendary desire to excel extended to his post-basketball endeavors and as a parent and husband.

More to Read

Sports Lakers

Broderick Turner

Broderick Turner is a Los Angeles Times reporter who covers the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein

Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein is senior director/video for features, sports and long-form videos. The UC Berkeley graduate has been an editor at Spin, Los Angeles Reader, Orange Coast and other publications. His work as a documentary writer and producer has appeared on VH1, ESPN, Food Network, Biography and TLC. His short story, “Fried Chicken,” was included in the anthology “Another City” (City Lights, 2001). He started his career on The Times’ prep sports desk.

Mark E. Potts

A native of Enid, Okla., Mark E. Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism.

Pau Gasol shares what his ‘brother,’ Kobe Bryant, meant to him

More to Read

More From the Los Angeles Times