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(Orlando, Florida Sunday, June 14, 2009) Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant share a warm embrace at center court as they realize victory is certain over the Magic in game five of the NBA Finals at Amway Arena. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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(Orlando, Florida Sunday, June 14, 2009) Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant share a warm embrace at center court as they realize victory is certain over the Magic in game five of the NBA Finals at Amway Arena. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Back at the height of the Lakers’ popularity, Kobe Bryant was the biggest star. The crowd of the staples’ center was roaring his name. And everyone wanted a piece of the action. Even the number one tennis star at the time, Roger Federer couldn’t hold back. And he looked smaller than ever besides Kobe and Pau Gasol.
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Federer ranks alongside the greatest tennis players to hit the earth. The Switzerland native ascended to world no.1 for the first time in 2004. And that started off his 237-week-long reign at the top of the mountain. Since then, Federer has become the almighty leader of the top spot. He has no competition with 310 weeks as the world’s number 1. But the 20-time grand slam champ had to check-in for a Lakers game.
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Back in 2011, he, along with former world number 1 Pete Sampras, went in to watch Kobe Bryant take on the Bobcats.
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol had to look down at Federer
In 2011, the Lakers and Bobcats were ready for a showdown. And in support came Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. Both are tall individuals standing at 6ft. However, in front of the Lakers duo of Kobe and Pau, they were no match. The Mamba stands at 6’6″ and Gasol is a big man at 7’1″.
In the photos that came out, Federer and Sampras looked smaller near the giants. But while the height difference could have been embarrassing for the tennis stars, they got a great display of basketball that night. Both Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol went off against the Charlotte Bobcats to secure a win at the Staples Center. Federer and Sampras saw their masterful performance in courtside view.
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant yells out in frustration after just missing a circus shot against the Nuggets defense late in the first half in game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Pepsi Center. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Lakers came out with the win against the Bobcats in a low-scoring affair. Kobe Bryant led the way and scored 27 points in the 92-84 win. His championship teammate Pau Gasol got himself a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The two shared 2 championships together and also remained to be great friends off the court.
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Do you think Pau Gasol and Shaquille O’Neal are Kobe Bryant’s best teammates? Let us know your views in the comments below.
Written by
Edited by
Bagavathi Eswaran