Gasol ecstatic after getting chance to join Bryant at Lakers

Pau Gasol is delighted at being given the chance to play alongside Kobe Bryant after the Los Angeles Lakers acquired the Spanish forward from Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. "He (Bryant) is a top-class player, the best in the NBA," Gasol told Spanish...

Pau Gasol is delighted at being given the chance to play alongside Kobe Bryant after the Los Angeles Lakers acquired the Spanish forward from Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

"He (Bryant) is a top-class player, the best in the NBA," Gasol told Spanish sports daily Marca yesterday. "We can do great things together and form a great partnership."

Bryant celebrated the news of Gasol's arrival by scoring 46 points as the Lakers racked up a 121-101 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Gasol, who will undergo a medical with the Lakers today, said he was struggling to take in the news of his move to the west coast.

"I'm up in the clouds, I still can't believe it," he said. "I'm still in a state of shock, but in personal and professional terms it is a huge boost for me and a huge opportunity.

"I'm going to fight to the death to achieve the team's objectives. In Los Angeles I will have a chance to win the title."

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