Ever since Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate and untimely passing, his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate has stepped in and served as a crucial figure in his family’s life.

Over the past couple of years Pau has done everything from give Vanessa gifts on Valentine’s Day to going on vacation with her and the girls.

The way Pau has stepped forward to help Vanessa and her daughters has been commended by most as a sign of how incredible of a human being he truly is. A lot of people talk the talk when tragedy occurs – few actually walk the walk the way Pau has.

This week, photos emerged of Pau serving as a legitimate friend and supportive figure for Vanessa and the family:

Unfortunately, with the internet being what it is nowadays, what should have been a celebration of true friendship quickly got derailed:

It feels as though the folks saying this sort of stuff don’t understand how close Kobe and Pau were.

Pau has spoken at length about the first time he ever saw Kobe cry and his chemistry with Kobe – this is the kind of stuff you talk about only when you were extremely close to the person you are talking about.

Because of that, it seems totally natural that Pau would want to help Kobe’s family in any way imaginable.

There is nothing tawdry about that.

It is unfortunate that Vanessa and Pau have to deal with chatter about the status of their relationship, but it is also a byproduct the culture we live in and where society is today.