Kobe Bryant had two sisters for his whole life, but when the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol back in 2008, he acquired a brother as well.
Bryant described Gasol simply as “mi hermano” in a 2016 interview, Spanish for “my brother,” and the two formed a special bond during their tenure with the Lakers. Like all siblings, their relationship had its ups and downs, but Gasol ultimately gave Bryant a perfect, symbiotic partner in the NBA, the most seamless pairing of either man’s legendary career. They won two rings together, and clearly the court wasn’t the only place where they formed a deep, familial connection.