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Lakers Legend Pau Gasol Continues to Honor His Dear Friend Kobe Bryant on Instagram

Published 07/26/2020, 4:53 PM EDT

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Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball figures in the world. Outside just his work on the court, Bryant was becoming a role model for others. He went through his personal struggles but did his best to make good on his mistakes. After retirement, he seemed to become a different person. He tried to educate others and be a great father to his four daughters. Raising them and watching them share his love for basketball, Kobe was a major supporter of the WNBA. He was seen on the sidelines of NBA games in WNBA merchandise and tried to help them become a bigger brand.

Ahead of the WNBA restart, a bunch of players took to social media to share their support for the league. A lot of them were mixed with tributes for Kobe and his daughter Gianna Bryant. Kobe’s former Lakers teammate Paul Gasol has joined in. Gasol shared two images on his Instagram. First, he put up the stat sheet of Sabrina Ionescu. Sabrina was the number one pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and a mentee of Kobe Bryant. Second, he posted a picture of him reading Kobe’s book ‘Geese are never Swans’.

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We all know how close were Kobe Bryant and WNBA #1 Draft of 2020, Sabrina Ionescu. Kobe helped shape her game and she’s frequently heard talking about Kobe and how much she misses him. For Pau to give a shout out to her was a great gesture. We’re pretty sure Kobe would have done the same, had he been alive.

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The book was announced on Kobe Bryant’s official Instagram page a few days back. As can be seen, Pau flaunted that book with the caption “Proud” to honor his dear friend and his creation.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol

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Pau Gasol must be one of the most aggrieved basketball players after the passing of Kobe. The pair won two NBA title together in 2009 and 2010. They also shared an excellent relationship. Outside of teammates, they were also close friends. Gasol has been quick to share his love for Kobe on regular occasions since Bryant passed away. He shares a relationship with the family because of his friendship with Bryant.

Gasol and Kobe were teammates for 7 seasons. This included their two championship wins in 2009 and 2010. Many people make the argument that Gasol was more of a 1-B option rather than a second choice behind Kobe. The one person Kobe trusted on the court to take their shots was Gasol. He averaged almost 19 points in both the title-winning seasons. He was also getting around 3 assists a game, not a common sight for big men back then. Gasol is still not officially retired but hasn’t played anywhere this season.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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