Gasol was a second option on that team. The only time Kobe ever semi-deferred was to Shaq. He would never defer to Gasol. And FYI, it's much easier for a second option, like Scottie Pippen, to load up accomplishments riding the coattails of great players, then it is for first options to lead teams, especially when they don't have superstar running mates. So many of the accolades Kobe achieved, can be attributed to the help he received from Shaq. For example, Kobe, while a decent defender, was on the all defensive team so many times because he had Shaq behind him to block shots and because he played in LA, where they overrate the players.