Pau Gasol Kobe Bryant
Photo: Noah Graham/Getty Images

Pau Gasol had been a close friend of the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant winning a title as the star duo of the team, that won two NBA titles.

Bryant is going to be inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday with eight other members from the Class of 2020.

FC Barcelona superstar and former Laker sat down with Los Angeles Times sports reporter Broderick Turner to discuss Bryant’s legacy and his friendship.

“The way he impacted the world, I think beyond the world of sports … beyond basketball, how he touched so many people, inspired so many people … Kobe went beyond that and above that,” said Gasol, per Los Angeles Times.

Gasol also touched how the Black Mamba impacted his teammates during his playing career and his dual role as a teammate.

“He wasn’t much of a sentimental guy, he was like ‘snap out of it … let’s get to it, there’s no time to waste.’ He would try to, I guess, inspire you and encourage you when he needed you to be inspired and encouraged, but he would also try to intimidate you when he wanted to get the better of you,” FC Barcelona star said.