The real reason Pau Gasol wanted an All-Star nod? Kobe Bryant

Pau Gasol didn't get selected to the 2016 NBA All-Star Team the first time around. Instead, he was selected as a replacement for Jimmy Butler when Butler sustained a knee injury that would keep him out of this upcoming weekend's festivities in Toronto.

Pau, though, is just happy to be there. And not just because the 35-year-old, who is still putting up the numbers of a 25-year-old, wants the personal accolades. In addition to representing his Bulls team, the six-time NBA All-Star also had said he wanted to be present for one of his ex-teammates:

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The upcoming All-Star Game will, of course, be Kobe Bryant's last. The Lakers great has announced he will retire at the end of this season.

Bryant and Gasol were teammates in Los Angeles from 2008 to 2014, during which they went to the Finals three times and won two championships.

And Gasol's fondness for his former teammate is not unreciprocated. Bryant, also, had named the big man one of his all-time favorites.