Pau Gasol's Emotional Reaction to Kobe Bryant's Hall of Fame Election is How Every NBA Fan Feels

Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was earmarked for celebration this summer the very second he announced his retirement.

After all, all it took were a few mental calculations to figure out the timeline for first-ballot election to make it abundantly clear Bryant's special day would be in Summer 2020, paired with a few other luminaries from his era.

But when the news became official on Saturday afternoon, it rang stunningly hollow -- after all, what would the celebration be without Bryant himself?

Of course, Bryant's career was beyond worthy of enshrinement among the game's elites, and the ceremony, even without his frank words and emotions, will still carry on as a celebration of his NBA tenure.

Surely, his teammates will pack the house and speak on his behalf, carrying on the Mamba's legacy, as will Vanessa and Natalia and the family that loved him.

Pau Gasol, who won two rings as Bryant's sidekick, summed things up very well in the immediate aftermath of the election results.

Yes, we're excited. Yes, we'll pack the museum and don the attire. But damn, we really wish Bean were here.

All of us do.