Talk about a match made in Spanish "cielo" (the Spanish word for "heaven").
Days after Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant talked about the possibility of finishing his professional basketball career overseas, former Lakers teammate and current Chicago Bulls star Pau Gasol talked about the possibility of joining Bryant in the Spanish league at the end of their careers, according to a tweet posted by Hoops Hype.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Bryant was asked if he could see himself ending his career in either Italy, where he spent time as a boy while his father played, or in China, where he has spent a lot of time recently - his documentary, "Kobe Bryant's Muse" will be released in China this week - and has built a rabid following.
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"I can see myself doing that," Bryant told Yahoo! Sports. "I can see myself doing a lot of stuff. That's a whole other question. I will make some decisions when I decide to hang it up."
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Bryant and Gasol spent six years together in L.A. (2008-2013), going to three NBA Finals and winning two.
Still, probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com finds Bryant's statement almost as funny as Gasol.
"(A possibility) for Kobe Bryant? Are you kidding me?" Kurt Helin wrote.
"Yes, he spent part of his formative years in Europe while his dad played there, but those were some of his dad's peak years. Kobe isn't going to pull his daughters out of school and away from their friends for a year like that to extend his career (he's doing pretty well financially). Moreover, he's not going to play for a year at a lower level of competition than the NBA just to grow his brand - he doesn't need to add EuroBasket champion to his resume. Even if he were going to sell out overseas, he'd go do it in China, where he all but walks on water (and sells more shoes)."
Bryant, however, always talks about his Italy experience with reverence and the thought of living in Europe for a year isn't that far-fetched. But it does seem that Bryant wouldn't play in any lesser a league unless he had an ulterior motive.
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