It's been about two and a half years since Kobe Bryant's tragic passing, and somehow it still feels so surreal. However short his life might have been, the Los Angeles Lakers icon made an indelible mark on the game of basketball. And everyone, including Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul, is being reminded of just how great the Mamba was after the release of The Redeem Team documentary on Netflix.

Chris Paul was filled with so much nostalgia that he couldn't help but take to Twitter and share just how sentimental he became while watching the documentary, especially after reliving Kobe Bryant's impassioned leadership that he experienced firsthand over 14 years ago.

Paul wrote: “Jus finished watching the Redeem Team doc. Watched it like I wasn’t even there. Brought back a lot of great memories. I had goosebumps watching the whole time. Grateful for those moments, that team and the opportunity!! Damn I miss Kob #RedeemTeam”

The squad the USA Men's National Basketball Team sent to the 2008 Beijing Olympics was filled with stars, led by Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Paul.

However, despite the presence of other world-beaters in the roster, it was Kobe Bryant who rose above all of them and led them to the promised land four years after a disappointing third-place finish four years ago. As the captain of the team, Bryant set a tone of tenacity that the entire team rallied behind, especially during their hotly-contested games against Spain.

Bryant, the feisty competitor that he was, didn't care that he was squaring up against then-Lakers teammate Pau Gasol. He ran through Gasol's chest and knocked him to the ground during their preliminary round matchup as if to say that he was there on the court for one reason and one reason only: to restore the lost basketball glory of the USMNBT. And surely enough, he did.

Chris Paul certainly took notes from Kobe Bryant over the years. Paul, the 37 year old guard entering his 18th season, has become one of the players you could count on to do whatever it takes to win, including pointing out an opponent's untucked jersey to the officials.

Lakers fans will forever rue the missed opportunity to bring CP3 and Bryant together after the NBA vetoed the trade between the Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets back in 2012. It would have taken the rest of the NBA an entirely different kind of mettle to withstand those two's combined wills to win.