ON the day of his enshrinement to the Basketball Hall of Fame, Pau Gasol honored his late Los Angeles Lakers teammate and 'brother' Kobe Bryant.
Pau Gasol remembers Kobe Bryant as he enters the Basketball Hall of Fame
In an emotional Hall of Fame induction speech on Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts (Sunday, Manila time), the Spanish basketball great paid tribute to the man who taught him 'what it took to win at the highest level.'
"[The Lakers is] where I got to know the person that elevated my game like no other; who taught me what it took to win at the highest level; who showed me how hard you needed to work and the mentality that you needed to have in order to be the best, what it meant, and what it took to be a leader — Kobe."

Gasol also shared a story on his first encounter with Kobe in Washington, D.C. the night he was traded to L.A. from Memphis in 2008.
"He made sure that right away, firsthand, I got the message. He said, 'Welcome to the team. I'm happy you're here. Now let's go win a championship together.' I said, 'Alright I'm in, man. I'm in. Have a good night.' That was it ... straight to the chase," Gasol revealed.
And win titles they did as Bryant and Gasol won back-to-back NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
With Bryant's widow Vanessa in attendance, Gasol left a touching message for Kobe and his daughter Gigi who both tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020.
"I wouldn’t be here without you brother. I wish more than anything that you and Gigi were here with us. I miss you and love you. Thanks Vanessa for being here tonight. I’m proud to be your brother. And an Uncle to your wonderful girls. I love you guys so very much."
Gasol joins the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as a two-time NBA champion, six-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA member, three-time Olympic medalist, and the league's 2002 Rookie of the Year.
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