One can argue that there are only a few big men in the NBA who are more skilled than Pau Gasol. For the majority of his playing career, the Spaniard has been nothing short of productive and spectacular.
He is the quintessential big that any coach would want on the floor. Pau Gasol can do his damage in so many ways, but his leadership and veteran smarts are also the big reasons why he was great back in the day.
Lakers fans right now may have their ideal big man in Anthony Davis, but one can’t simply overlook what Pau Gasol has done for the purple and gold. After all, their last title was back in 2010 where he and Kobe Bryant led the team past their bitter rivals in the Boston Celtics.
The older Gasol may no longer be creating new NBA 2020 highlights since he has been hobbled by injuries for the past few seasons. But when it is all said and done, his name should pop up in Hall of Fame talks in the near future.
Looking back at Pau Gasol’s journey
Before Gasol became a household name for the Los Angeles Lakers, he was a franchise staple for the Memphis Grizzlies. Drafted as the third overall pick back in 2001, big things were expected already from the Barcelona native especially since he was a dominant basketball player back home.
From the moment he suited up for Memphis, Gasol made his impact felt right away. By becoming an effective two-way force down low with norms of 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, he would go on to win the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
However, while he would keep on having individual success, the Grizzlies weren’t able to provide him enough help in order to make a deep playoff push as they would get swept in the first round by some top-tier teams.
But the Spaniard would somehow make up for it by playing well for his home country. With his success in international basketball, Gasol has helped Spain to become one of the basketball powerhouses that we know today.
In his seven seasons with Memphis, Pau Gasol became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and leader in field goals made. He also became the first player ever from the Grizzlies (and from Spain) who made the All-Star team as well.
A case for #16
Pau Gasol’s career would take a fortuitous turn when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers midway in the 2008 season. In what was a blockbuster trade, Pau Gasol was dealt in exchange for Aaron McKie, Javaris Crittenton, Kwame Brown, along with some draft picks including the one where the Grizzlies used to draft his younger brother Marc.
By the moment he wore the purple and gold, he would be the co-star that Kobe Bryant desperately needed at the time. The two would form a potent one-two punch as they towed LA all the way to the 2008 Finals only to lose against the Celtics in six games.
In the next two seasons, however, Pau Gasol would help his team in winning back-to-back titles against the Magic in 2009 and against the Celtics in 2010. His game didn’t change that much at the time, but his toughness and grit were in full display in those championship runs.
The Spaniard would go on to play four more years for the Lakers. And while the team wasn’t that good in his final years there, he never asked out and stuck with them until he became a free agent.
With a plethora of accolades on and off the court, it’s almost guaranteed that Pau Gasol’s #16 will be up there in the rafters sooner or later.
“It will be an honor if it does happen. It would be a privilege to be in that group. It means a lot to me that the fans would like to see that. It will be beyond my dreams to be able to experience that,” said Gasol during a recent interview with ClutchPoints.
Gasol likes the Lakers’ chances this year
Up to this day, Pau Gasol’s heart remains in Los Angeles as he roots for them to win the title. But even if the Lakers have great NBA 2020 odds of winning it, Gasol believes that his former team would have to earn it the hard way.
For one, the 2019/20 season is in uncharted territory due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, teams such as the Clippers and the Bucks would pose huge threats as well.
But even with all these obstacles, the Lakers are definitely a team that SBOBET fans should watch out for with LeBron James chasing his fourth title and the franchise aiming to win its first since 2010.
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