Marc Gasol channeled his inner Mamba Mentality on Thursday after the Los Angeles Lakers center dislocated his left finger against the Boston Celtics. Gasol gave Kobe Bryant flashbacks as he popped his finger back in place before returning and playing his heart out.
After the tough 121-113 loss at home, Lakers coach Frank Vogel gave a glimpse of how tough the former Defensive Player of the Year really is. According to Vogel, he asked Gasol right after the incident if he needed to go in the locker room to address his left finger. Gasol's response, however, was pretty epic (via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group).
Frank Vogel said he asked Marc Gasol if he needed to go into the back after dislocating his finger, and Marc told him, "I don't need my left hand."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 16, 2021
What a trooper.
The 36-year-old Gasol dislocated his left pinky while sliding on the floor to grab possession of the ball late in the third quarter. He did gain possession for the Lakers at the expense of his finger, which forced him to be subbed out for a few minutes before heading back out there. There's nothing a few rolls of medical tape can't fix, right?
The late Kobe also had a similar incident, as he famously had his dislocated finger popped back by former Lakers trainer Gary Vitti in February 2016 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Unfortunately, Gasol's valiant effort wasn't enough to complete a late comeback against the Celtics. He finished with 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long distance, broken finger and all. He added four rebounds and three assists, starting in place of the sidelined Andre Drummond.
Marc Gasol's grit and determination are things that should excite Lakers fans. He was brought in by the team this season to add defensive intensity in the frontcourt in hopes of defending the title.
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