In his piece for The Players' Tribune, Pau Gasol talked about how he's “missing” Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant a lot right now during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gasol says he's never been around a guy like Kobe who responded to adversity so well.
“I’m really missing Kobe these days, and the things he taught me are louder than ever in my mind, and in my heart,” the former Lakers star said of Kobe.
“We need this mentality right now. We may not be in control of very much, but we still have choices. The way we respond to the pandemic, and its aftermath, will define this moment in our history. Will we come out of this grateful and united — or resentful and divided? It’s up to us.”
No one in NBA history arguably dealt with tough times better than Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers icon played through countless injuries, shot a free-throw on a torn Achilles, won a championship with Pau Gasol after everyone said he wasn't going to win another one following Shaq's departure, and became the best player in Lakers franchise history — the team everyone thinks about when someone brings up the word “NBA.”
Kobe finished his Lakers career with averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He won five championships and was a two-time Finals MVP and the 2008 regular-season MVP.
Bryant made the All-Star team 18 times with the Lakers, winning All-Star Game MVP four times. Certainly, there will never be another Kobe.
Gasol is urging everyone in the U.S. to channel their inner Mamba Mentality and attack this COVID-19 pandemic with the right attitude, but he also wants everyone to be smart about it by staying inside and practice social distancing.
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