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Pau Gasol isn’t surprised that Kobe Bryant thinks he ‘sucks’

By Josh Wilson

Dec 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) and guard Kobe Bryant (24) react during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. The Suns defeated the Lakers 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) and guard Kobe Bryant (24) react during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. The Suns defeated the Lakers 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kobe Bryant has recently come out to be very self-critical, publicly calling himself the 200th best player in the NBA, and saying that he “sucks,” but his former teammate Pau Gasol is not surprised.

Pau Gasol is one of the NBA’s longest-playing veterans, and he spent several of his prime years with one of the all-time greats, Kobe Bryant. He got to know him well during the seven seasons he spent with him. It wasn’t until recently that they had to start playing separately when Gasol left to join the Chicago Bulls last year. Kobe was out for the season, so this has been the first true year in a long time Bryant has had to spend without Gasol by his side.

Bryant returned to the floor at the beginning of this season after his year off, and things haven’t gone as planned for him, by any means. Bryant, who has once scored 35 points per game in a season and shot consistently at about 45%, is now scoring just 15.8 points per game and shooting 33%, missing a lot more shots than he usually does. Kobe is missing about 10 shots per game so far this season, which is undoubtedly frustrating for him. Bryant has publicly been very critical of himself, calling himself the 200th best player in the league, and saying that he sucks.

His former teammate Gasol isn’t surprised at all by these comments like some people are. Talking to Sporting News, he said that Kobe is, “very self-critical,” and, “very demanding of himself.”

Gasol continued, “He hasn’t been sharp this beginning of the season, and he knows that. So no, it’s not surprising. I know him well.”

Gasol also added that he had no idea what Bryant’s plans as far as retirement were at the end of this season.

Kobe has a lot to work out, but may be able to find some new weapons to work with despite his usual crowd now being gone. He has D’Angelo Russell alongside him in the back-court now, and Roy Hibbert in the place that Gasol once held. Black Mamba will find a way.

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