After losing the NBA Finals in 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers were on a quest for revenge. During a recent appearance on the ‘Knuckleheads podcast, former Lakers champion Pau Gasol reflected on that failed Finals run and what transpired in the immediate aftermath.
“It was rough. We were taking it in, but you gotta feel the pain. It’s gotta hurt,” said Pau. “So, after the game, in the locker room to getting on the bus and the bus not moving because of the buzz and you couldn’t move. You feel like you wanna get off the bus and start some stuff but at the same time, it’s like, take it in. Take it all in. Feel it for next year because this is all part of it.”
The Lakers won 57 games that season, which ranked as the third-best record in the league at the time. In the eyes of Kobe Bryant, however, the season was a failure after falling short against the Celtics in the Finals. A few months later, after Bryant led Team USA to the Olympic gold medal he used the win to give Gasol a taste of ultimate victory.
“It’s 2008 in Beijing and Kobe is playing well, obviously with Team USA trying to get the team back to the top after losing in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He was obviously determined, as he always was, to leave his mark and help the team win. We played that final match in the Olympics and by the time we came back, a few weeks later, it was training camp. On the first day of training camp, Kobe puts his gold medal in my locker. And I’m like ‘What is this gold medal doing in my locker?’ I see the gold medal and then I turn back and I see him looking at me. It was all very intentional, he was trying to get me in the right state of mind. It was very thoughtful as far as what he was trying to do and how he was trying to get to me that said ‘You lost against the Celtics, you lost against us in Beijing, let’s not make it three in a row for you.”
Bryant was a beast in the 2008 Olympics, posting 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per game. Bryant scored 20 points on 50% shooting against Spain, sending Gasol home just one win shy of the gold medal.
By putting his prize in Gasol’s locker, Bryant (5x champion) wasn’t trying to gloat. Rather, he was trying to light a fire under his co-star and inspire him to help lead the Lakers to a championship.
That season, the Lakers completed their revenge arc with another dominant campaign, complete with the team’s first championship since 2002. In 81 games, Pau averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 56.7% shooting.
In the 2009-2010 campaign, the Lakers continued their success with another championship over the Boston Celtics, led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, who averaged 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 53.6% shooting.
Clearly, Bryant’s message worked and his relentless competitive spirit helped to bring out the best in teammates, like Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Rick Fox. During his time in the NBA, Kobe was a man of action and he always set the example for his teammates to follow.
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