Vanessa Bryant made her first appearance on the Lakers’ court since the day of Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s memorial service on Feb. 24, 2020, to honor her late husband’s close friend and former teammate Pau Gasol and to retire his No. 16 jersey.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, the LA Lakers staff and players spoke about Gasol’s many contributions to the team, including his two NBA championships and several All-Star Game appearances.
Reporters say that Gasol stopped to talk about his time on the courts with Kobe.
“He definitely inspired me and showed me what it took to be the best player that you could be. The work ethic, the dedication, and the mindset going into it. He challenged me to be better with his actions and with his work. He was very intentional with his actions,” he said during his speech.
Gasol also mentioned before the ceremony that he would not be in this position without Kobe and that he would be thinking of him all night.
“It’s impossible [to separate],” Gasol said. “It’s inevitable. I don’t know how. … My number goes up there, for a big reason, because of him.”
“And also how he made me better, how he made us better, how he led us in those runs, and the effect that he had. And then obviously not having him here with us, it’s tough.”
