Silke Jasso
The WNBA has officially declared that the 2023 Kobe & Gigi Bryant Advocacy Award would be presented to NBA legend Pau Gasol.
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Gasol, 42, is being acknowledged for his “substantial efforts towards the progression of girls’ and women’s basketball,” according to a WNBA statement.
At the NBA All-Star Game in Utah on Sunday night, Gasol, a two-time NBA champion, will receive the award from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Vanessa Bryant, the wife of Kobe Bryant.
“I’m so pleased that Pau has been chosen to receive this award. Pau has done so much to promote women and girls in sports and cares deeply about spreading a message of equality, which was so important to Kobe and Gianna,” said Bryant, the Chair of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports.
Pau Gasol on Instagram
“We are grateful to the WNBA and Pau for continuing to honor Kobe and Gianna in this way,” she stated.
In a statement, Gasol stated recivin the award was an honor that makes him ” especially happy because it represents two people who are and will always be in my heart.”
“Kobe’s work, especially during his later years, to support women’s sports is an excellent example of where we must direct our efforts to ensure full equality in sports,” he added.
Along with his brother Marc, the NBA legend created the Gasol Foundation, which aims to reduce childhood obesity rates by promoting healthy eating, sleep, physical activity and emotional well-being.
WNBA Commissioner Engelbert praised Gasol’s “outstanding work in the community” and his support as a WNBA investor. “Pau has shown to be a longtime advocate in his career for the league and women’s sports advocate, helping to carry on the legacy of Kobe and Gigi,” she noted.
“Pau serves as a leader for women’s basketball at the national team level and has been a vocal advocate for the prioritization of women in professional and coaching pipelines. Pau is a role model for other male athletes and the league is proud to name him as the 2023 recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award,” Engelbert added.
The WNBA will make a donation to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation on behalf of Gasol. Gasol is the second recipient of the award after Chris Paul who was named the inaugural recipient in 2022.
