Kobe Bryant was on a mission during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, ready to take Team USA to the top of the world after a disappointing performance in Athens four years before. The Los Angeles Lakers player had just won the 2008 NBA MVP and was ready to take his dominance to new grounds.
After losing the Finals to the Boston Celtics, Bryant was looking for revenge and whoever stood in front of him would suffer the consequences, and not in a metaphorical way.
The person who learned that lesson, sadly, was his teammate Pau Gasol, who was tackled by Kobe during a Team USA-Team Spain match in the tournament. Many people thought they would be cordial on the court, but Kobe had different plans, even shocking his national team squad.
Kobe Bryant Made An Incredible Play Against Pau Gasol In 2008 Olympics
In a new clip of the upcoming 2008 Redeem Team documentary, we see Kobe talking before clashing with Spain, the reigning world champions at the time, praising them, but making it clear Team USA was ready for the challenge. Pau Gasol explains that Kobe went to visit him and the rest of Team Spain, but Pau knew there was something behind that move.
“I believe that might have been part of his strategy, to kind of soften me up,” the 2x NBA champion said.
LeBron James reveals that Kobe wanted to send a message to Gasol, but it was more for his teammates. He was ready to ‘set the tone’ as soon as the game started and hit Gasol in his chest.
“Kobe said he gonna set the tone at the start of the game,” LeBron said. “And he said, ‘I’m running through Pau’s fucking chest.'”
“First play of the game, I’m running through Pau Gasol,” Dwyane Wade added. “We was like, ‘what?'”
LeBron couldn’t believe that and tried to talk Kobe out of that, but the Black Mamba had made up his mind already.
“Man, you trippin’. Now that’s your teammate. You ain’t about to do that,” LeBron recalled telling Kobe.
“He said, ‘First play of the game, I know what they’re gonna run,'” Wade explained. “He knew Pau was gonna be the last screen. He said, ‘I’m running through that motherf**ker.'”
Kobe kept his word, and as soon as the ref blew the whistle, he went off and chased Paul. When the ball got past the Spanish big man, Kobe ran and tackled him. He hit it like it was nothing and Gasol was shocked, laying on the floor.
“We was like… ‘Holy sh*t,'” LeBron said.
Pau explained that it was a message not just for him, but the rest of Team USA about making it clear that Kobe wanted to win regardless of who was in front of him. Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony were shocked by that play and LeBron knew they weren’t losing that game.
“Like, he did that to his teammate? Oh my god. We was like, ‘oh, ain’t no way we’re losing this game. We about to beat the sh*t out of Spain.”
Team USA won that game 119-82 to continue his unbeaten run in the tournament. They would clash with Spain in the gold-medal game, once again beating the European giants. That was a closer matchup, but the Redeem Team still won, getting the gold medal and sending a message to the rest of the world. They were still the best team on earth and nobody could beat them as long as Kobe was in his element.
