Bryant may have been best player in the series against the Celtics, but it was his teammate Pau Gasol who proved to be more valuable. And deep down somewhere in his cold-blooded body, Bryant knew it.
“I can’t say enough about the Spaniard,” Bryant said, acknowledging the impact of his teammate Pau Gasol in front the 19,000 fans inside Staples Center who were celebrating the Lakers’ back-to-back NBA titles and the franchise’s 16th overall.
“The man was unbelievable. We couldn’t have won it without him,” Bryant continued.
As good as Bryant was in the series, the Celtics defense made him into a volume shooter and had a counter for his every move. However, the Celtics had no answer for the talented 7-foot Spaniard.
Kevin Garnett tried, but he ran out of gas. Rasheed Wallace tried, but he was too old and injured. Kendrick Perkins had some success, but his knee gave out. And Glen “Big Baby” Davis was stout, but he was just too short.
Gasol took on the entire Celtics’ frontcourt and won.