Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant played his final game in Chicago. It was another nostalgic night for the man called the "Black Mamba."

But his last night at the United Center was a bit different. One player led the tribute, his old Laker teammate and friend Pau Gasol. The bond that Bryant and Gasol have is like no other, and the Spaniard saw it fit to at least play one more time against his buddy.

He made that clear when he showed utter disappointment when he failed to make the East All Star roster, where he would have shared the floor with Kobe and other stars for the last time.

To make the night special, it was Gasol who took the lead. He appeared in the video that was shown before tip-off -- the Bulls version of paying tribute to the 38-year-old cager.

Other than that, it was all business from there. The Bulls won over the Lakers, 126-115, with Kobe playing the final game in the house that Michael Jordan built. Gasol finished the contest with 21 points to lead the Bulls while Bryant ended up with 22 points for the Lakers.

For his part, Bulls star guard Derrick Rose shared his own tribute to Kobe.

“He is a legend. He’s meant so much to the league,” said Rose. “He’s our Michael Jordan. The way he’s been playing, the way he dedicated his whole life to a sport. I kind of envy that. His whole career paid off well, five championships; his resume speaks for itself. He deserves everything that has come his way.”

After the match, Gasol posted a personal tribute as well via Instagram.

A video posted by Pau (@paugasol) on Feb 21, 2016 at 9:32pm PST

It was a pretty touching goodbye for the two stars who played together in Los Angeles. It included an awkward yet effective story on how Kobe helped Gasol become a better player.

All that happened in the 2008 Summer Olympics when both faced off representing their respective countries. Team USA defeated Spain in the gold medal match. Prior to that meeting, the Lakers were coming off a loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

In an unusual move, Kobe allegedly placed his gold medal near Gasol’s locker to somehow motivate him to play better for the 2009 season.

"You can’t finish second in June this year," Bryant recalled. "You have to get your (stuff) together."

Somehow, the ploy worked. The Lakers won the title that year and again in 2010.