Kobe wasn’t saying this when they thought they were getting Chris Paul, but I digress.

It is good to show loyalty, but we all know that Kobe has no say and if the Lakers get a good deal at any time for Pau they are taking it.

In a media appearance in Barcelona with Team USA, Bryant stuck up for Gasol, telling reporters:

Kobe, answering a question from a Spanish reporter about Pau’s status with the Lakers: “As long as I’m there, he’s going to be there.”