After the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008, he and Lamar Odom established themselves as one of the best frontcourt duos in the league. Along with Kobe Bryant, they helped Los Angeles win two championships in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances.

As Gasol is still playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Odom is back in the public after his near-death experience. In an exclusive interview with Shams Charania of The Vertical, the two-time champion discussed how he re-signed with the Lakers in 2009 because of Gasol:

“After we got Pau [Gasol in 2008], it was easy for us. I just kept that in mind. It was a wrap after we got Pau. His first game was amazing, and he didn’t even know the triangle. Playing with him, playing off of him, he was easy to play with. He knows the game so well, and he’s so talented. Right hand, left hand, right hook, left hook, back hook, fadeaway.”

Through the years, Gasol has been labeled ‘soft,' but Odom defended his former teammate:

“When you play a finesse game, you get labeled soft,” Odom says. “Early in my basketball career, I thought people labeled me soft because of the game I played. I took you off the dribble, rocked you, took you to the rim, smoked by you. You get labeled soft. People never credited me for my defense. I never thought people credited me for my defense, my rebounding. Pau brought it, too.”

While Gasol and Andrew Bynum started games for head coach Phil Jackson, Odom was the team's sixth man and finished most games. With the versatility both players had, most teams had difficulty matching up against them.

As Odom eyes playing in the BIG3, basketball fans cannot help but wonder how he would have thrived in today's league. With the best power forwards able to do a bit of everything, the 2011 Sixth Man of the Year was ahead of his time.