Trust is the cornerstone of any successful team, so it comes as no surprise that a locker room can be turned upside down when juicy rumors about its members start circulating. The L.A. Lakers found themselves in such a situation in 2011.
Back then, word on the street was that one of Pau Gasol 's Laker teammates had hooked up with the Spanish superstar's longtime girlfriend. Shannon Brown was among the suspects, but the role player quickly tried to nip the drama in the bud .
“Ok let me put a end to this right now before it goes any further. I DID NOT SLEEP WITH @paugasol woman!!! First and last time addressing it!” Brown wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Gossip gone wild
Rumors often spread quickly, in many ways, and usually at the wrong time. This was also true for that particular rumor regarding the Purple and Gold.
It all began around the 2011 NBA playoffs with speculation about Kobe Bryant's then-wife, Vanessa, allegedly interfering in Gasol's personal life. Gossip suggested that she had encouraged Pau's girlfriend at the time, Silvia Lopez Castro, to end their relationship due to his infidelity. This led to assumptions that Kobe and Pau's close friendship was strained.
The rumor then evolved, claiming that the Gasol-Castro relationship had actually ended because of her supposed affair with the team's backup point guard, Steve Blake. Eventually, the gossip reached Brown, who was married to R&B singer Monica at the time.
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Lakers' playoff meltdown
With all that outside noise, one might have almost forgotten that the Lakers were still playing ball–though not very successfully. In the Western Conference semifinals, they suffered a decisive defeat against the Mavs. This marked the first time a team coached by Phil Jackson had ever been swept in a playoff series.
During that disappointing postseason, Hall of Famer Gasol delivered particularly poor performances. Looking like a shadow of his former self, the big man averaged just 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds .
The way he carried himself on the court, combined with a clear lack of team chemistry, led many to believe that at least some of the rumors might indeed be true. Lakers player Andrew Bynum didn't help quiet these suspicions after speaking to the press following Game 2.
“Obviously, we have trust issues, and unless we come out and discuss them, nothing is going to change. It’s quite obvious to anybody watching the game,” he shared.
When asked if these "trust issues" were related to the court or the locker room, the 7-footer replied, “It's basketball, so it would be definitely both."
For the record, Brown left the team shortly after the drama. As for Gasol, he can hopefully laugh about it all now. This is especially true considering that the European basketball legend has since built a family with Catherine McDonnell, whom he married in 2019.
Related: Byron Scott explains Kobe's scientific approach to greatness: "Over a five-year period, they can't catch me"
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