Kobe Bryant Plus Pau Gasol Equals Championship Success?

Kobe Bryant is many things.

Kobe is a man, a husband, a father, and a basketball player.

He is also part of one of the greatest one-two punches the NBA world has ever witnessed.

Along with Shaquille O'neal, these two accomplished a rare three-peat together.

Shaq was always the one in the one-two punch. Kobe settled with being number two.

When Shaq left the Lakers, the dynasty started to fall apart. Kobe became a "villain" after numerous controversial headlines were "glued" over his head. It took awhile for the franchise to bring the championship parade back to L.A.

Kobe took sometime to reinvent himself and has taken the role of being the Los Angeles Lakers' leader. When the Lakers acquired forward/center Pau Gasol on Feb.1 2008, the Lakers team started to flourish.

That same year when the Lakers acquired Pau they sailed their way to the Finals, but was shot down in humiliating fashion by the Boston Celtics. The following season the Lakers came with a vengeance and climbed their way to the top once again.

During the Lakers' title run, a great Duo emerged along the way. Kobe and Pau is now making a name for themselves amongst the great duos in the NBA vault.

Kobe and Pau made great clutch plays during the playoffs and has great chemistry on and off the court. Kobe even said that Pau is his favorite player in the NBA right now.

Kobe averages 25.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game during his career coupled with Pau's 18.8 points, 1.7 blocks, and 8.7 rebounds per game they are a force to be reckoned with.

Kobe has already been apart of two great duos during his prodigious career. The difference between the Shaq/Kobe and the Kobe/Gasol parings is Kobe's now the man.

Kobe is not the second option anymore like his early years with Shaq. He is now the one in the Kobe/Gasol one-two punch.

With this young duo that is Kobe and Pau they are on their way to championship success. Since Gasol has been apart of the Lakers they have won consecutive Western Conference Finals and is now the top team in the NBA.

With these two still in top form, their is no telling how much more championships they can win. They have definitely shown their potential to win much, much more in their journey as teammates and friends.