Pau Gasol reveals the reason behind the nickname Kobe Bryant gave him likening him to Pablo Escobar
Kobe Bryant has given players some unique nicknames but Pau Gasol's Pablo Escobar inspired nickname might be the best one of the lot
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Pau Gasol
NBA legend Pau Gasol had his jersey proudly hung up in the rafters of the crypto.com arena to honor his contributions to the Los Angeles Lakers. Gasol won two championships with Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010 and had a great relationship with the Mamba. “They gave me two nicknames,” Gasol told La Resistencia. “Kobe called me Pablo. Kobe always tried to get my inner fire out and he called me Pablo because of Pablo Escobar,” said Gasol.
Pau revealed that Kobe called him Pablo not because of the drug trafficking but to bring out his killer instinct. “Not because he was a drug trafficker, but because of that murderous instinct. To get that aggressiveness, he compared me to him,” said Gasol. The duo was certainly killers in the league winning back-to-back championships and making three straight NBA finals.
Kobe Bryant was sorely missed by everyone in the building during Pau’s jersey retirement as Kobe had famously said Pau would have a jersey right next to his. Gasol and Bryant played 5 and a half seasons together and were a feared duo in the NBA. Even though Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant are regarded as the greatest duo ever, the memories and championships that Pau and Kobe gave the NBA will last forever. Bryant and Gasol’s brotherhood was truly special
Also Read: Pau Gasol house: Where does Lakers legend lives?
Pau Gasol impacted Kobe Bryant’s legacy in a huge way by joining the Lakers
Pau Gasol’s championships with the Lakers played a huge role in the legacy of Kobe Bryant. After winning his 5th championship in 2010 Kobe famously said that all he wanted was more rings than Shaq. Shaq won three rings with Kobe and the Lakers and one with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2006. Kobe had to watch Shaq win while his Lakers missed the playoffs.
The Lakers traded for Pau Gasol in the middle of the 07/08 season amidst rumors of Kobe demanding a trade request. Gasol was coming off back-to-back seasons averaging 20 points with the Memphis Grizzlies. Gasol had averaged above 17 points per game since entering the league and was a very reliable second option due to his adept defensive skillset.
However, Kobe and Pau lost their first crack at the finals against the Boston Celtics in 2008 but got their revenge in 2010. The Spaniard famously dropped 36 points in his first playoff game as a Laker which set the tone for years to come. Gasol and Bryant had their most dominating championship win in 2009 when they beat the Orlando Magic in 5 games. Gasol was selected as an all-star for the first time in his career that year. Pau Gasol had a legendary career and fully deserves his jersey up in the iconic rafters of the crypto.com arena,
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)