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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 23: Vanessa Bryant, former NBA Player Kobe Bryant, Natalia Bryant and Gianna Bryant attend the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival’s Tribeca Talks: Storytellers: Kobe Bryant with Glen Keane at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 23, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/FilmMagic)
Imago
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 23: Vanessa Bryant, former NBA Player Kobe Bryant, Natalia Bryant and Gianna Bryant attend the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival’s Tribeca Talks: Storytellers: Kobe Bryant with Glen Keane at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 23, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/FilmMagic)
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash. The basketball world has not been the same ever since. It cannot forget that Bryant is no longer among us.
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Pau Gasol, a close friend of the Bryant’s, cannot help but remember his friend.
In a recent interview with The Real Daytime, Gasol spoke about his time with Bryant. He also spoke a little about his future, and his upcoming series.
Paul Gasol remembers Kobe Bryant during a recent interview
Over the past few months, we have seen plenty of videos and photos of Gasol spending time with the Bryant’s. The content is sometimes shared by Gasol himself, or Vanessa Bryant. He even named his daughter after Gianna: naming Vanessa her godmother.
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In the interview, Gasol spoke about one of his closest friends and how he misses him. Of course, he wishes that Bryant was still here, inspiring people like he always has been. Gasol spoke of Bryant’s presence in the family that made a lot of difference with his mentality.
He impacted everyone in different ways. Gasol misses reaching out to him, calling him and just asking him for advice.
“But mainly again I wish he was still here being a father to all his children and being a husband to Vanessa”,?Gasol said.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA APRIL 28, 2013-Lakers Kobe Bryant consoles Pau Gasol late in the 4th quarter against the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center Sunday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Gasol on naming his daughter Gianna
When asked about his daughter, Gasol spoke about it as a way to have both Bryant and Gianna close to them always. “It was just probably, for us, the biggest way that we could actually honor him and her into our lives”, he said.
He explained that they are a family, and how they love each other. They will always be there, and they are going to be here for all the good and the bad times. “Naming our daughter Ellie Gianna it was part of how we felt”,?stated Gasol.
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Just a few days ago, Gasol played basketball with Bryant’s four-year-old daughter, Bianka. Vanessa was the one who shared the adorable video. Naturally, fans were quite enamored by the clip, sending lots of love their way.
Bryant, who retired in 2016, played his entire twenty-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Gasol was with the team from 2007 to 2014. The two bonded while Gasol was with the Lakers, and have been friends ever since.