Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant's longtime friend have had a strong friendship over the years. The two celebrity families have been especially close after the tragic death of the athlete, with Gasol always sharing his support for the Bryant family,

Kobe Bryant’s bond with Pau Gasol was more than just teammates, they were brothers. Gasol is like an uncle to the Bryant family, making Kobe’s daughter Natalia Bryant a big aunt to Gasol’s kids. After the tragedy in 2020 and the loss of his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and his daughter Gigi,

Kobe Bryant once told Pau Gasol "Send me your sons and I’ll teach them how to be tough, to fight, to work and go for it… I’ll send you my daughters so you can teach them about culture, awareness, things like that.