Kobe Bryant supportive of Pau Gasol

Kobe Bryant says he was "sad" Pau Gasol left for the Chicago Bulls. But Bryant was also happy for Gasol. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant says he was “sad” Pau Gasol left for the Chicago Bulls. But Bryant was also happy for Gasol. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant hardly seems the sentimental type.

He displays his dominating personality during epic performances or with fiery exchanges with teammates. Bryant shows a sharp and sarcastic sense of humor. For all the dramatics that surround Bryant’s legend, often he would rather let his work tell the whole story than trying to wax poetic about it.

But Bryant always held a special soft spot for Pau Gasol, whose departure this offseason to the Chicago Bulls struck an emotional cord in Bryant’s heart.

“When he called me and told me, I was sad because when he got here, we turned this organization around,” Bryant said, mindful of the Lakers’ acquiring Gasol in 2008 from Memphis immediately resulted in three NBA Finals appearances and two NBA titles. “So I was sad and told him that. But at the same time, I was happy for him because he felt really excited and rejuvenated about going to a new situation.”

Rarely had Gasol felt rejuvenated in recent seasons with the Lakers.

Shortly after the NBA nixed the Chris Paul deal in 2011 that would have sent Gasol to the Houston Rockets, he became linked to countless trade discussions. None of those ever materialized through the next three years, but the Lakers’ willingness to entertain offers left Gasol in a never-ending state of uncertainty surrounding his future. Meanwhile, Gasol battled both continuous health issues and demoted roles, first to accommodate Andrew Bynum’s growth in the 2011-12 season and pave the way for Dwight Howard’s arrival in the 2013-14 campaign.

Meanwhile, Gasol and former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni openly expressed disagreement over his role. D’Antoni’s wanted Gasol to play mostly as a stretch forward in a fast-paced system, while Gasol preferred playing in the post in a more methodically run offense. That backdrop coupled with the Lakers finishing last season with the team’s worst record in L.A. franchise history partly contributed toward Gasol leaving the Lakers after they failed to sign Carmelo Anthony.

Still, Bryant saw those elements as a moot point when Gasol delivered him the bittersweet news.

“At the end of the day, he’s my brother before basketball,” Bryant said. “We’ll always have that.”

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