The race of Pau Gasol it is part of history. A legend from head to toe who hangs his shoes at the top of world basketball, having played in countless finals, playoffs and leaving hundreds of unforgettable memories. Spain’s elimination at the hands of the United States at the Olympics marked the end of the road for the Catalan center following an emotional return to action in March 2021 from FC Barcelona.
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Already with career bests in the past, at Sports news Spain We review the pivot’s best moments during his stay in the best league on the planet. A total of 18 seasons of participation with many great memories and positive memories.
Welcome Pau to the NBA
One of the iconic works of Gasol’s career. In one of his first matches, on December 6, 2001, Pau and Kevin Garnett engaged in a very intense duel for several minutes. They traded baskets every time the Spaniard scored first, when the Minnesota star tried to answer.
Until Pau cut short the moment with a wild dunk over several Wolves defenders.
Memphis knows the playoffs
The Grizzlies had never been to the Playoffs in their eight-year history and it was the Spaniard who led them to their first postseason. Gasol needed two seasons to lead the Bears to the postseason in his third.
It cost a lot and in the three years they visited the Playoffs the number of wins remained at zero. In his first year, Pau and the Grizzlies suffered through a dominant Tim Duncan inside. The Spurs easily got rid of the block formed by Gasol himself, Jason Williams, James Posey or Bonzi Wells.
Pau’s first All-Star
The 2005-2006 season was Pow’s best individual season with the Grizzlies. As a reward for his 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assiststhe Spaniard went to the All-Star Game in a very worthy way, as the captain of some rival Memphis Grizzlies.
First and only time Pau represented the Tennessee franchise in the All-Star game.
Best showing with the Grizzlies
That same season, just months after his All-Star debut, Gasol signed his best game with the Bears. On March 28, 2006, Pau reached 44 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 46 minutes..
Dominating performance and victory against the Super Seattle Sonics.
The transfer that changes everything
On February 1, 2008, everything changed for Spanish basketball. Pau was already one of the reference athletes, but this move turned everything upside down, both for him and for the Lakers and Grizzlies and Spanish basketball.
Gasol became one of the teams with the longest history, the most followers and the most impact, not only in basketball, but on the entire world sports scene. Pau was the star backup for Kobe Bryant and some Lakers who needed to step up to compete for a ring.
From Spain, the following in Pau grew like never before and rose to a greater media level. And the Grizzlies, not to be outdone, signed a player who would bring them even more collective joy, his brother Mark.
The first quality performance with the Lakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJnjWVlO8CI
First playoff game with the Lakers and first elite appearance with the gold and purple. Denver suffered a dynamic version of Catalan, who gave up 36 points and 16 rebounds in a multi-carat offensive recital.
The ring after defeat tastes better
After losing to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Finals, months after landing in Los Angeles, Pau quickly had a chance to come to terms with the bad taste in his mouth. 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 blocks in 42.5 minutes.
In these Finals, the Lakers were far superior to the Orlando Magic who surprisingly reached the finals.
The rebound that saves a very dangerous situation
With the Lakers defending their title, Pau saved the team from a very difficult situation. Kobe Bryant had the ball in his hands, with Oklahoma ahead on the board and the series going into Game 7 at Staples Center.
Kobe challenged Russell Westbrook one-on-one, but his shot went wide. In that sigh of relief Thunder fans must have thought they were winning the game, Pau appeared to save the night and doom the young Thunder.
A game 7 for history and revenge on the greens
A final draw that allowed them to enjoy a historic rivalry again. The Celtics and Lakers crossed paths after the 2008 Finals that Boston took without consideration.
18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 blocks in a very defensive and tough streak. Gasol was key in Game 7 with 18 rebounds, including 9 offensive rebounds, as the Lakers avenged their series against their perennial rival. One of the best remembered series in modern basketball.
Chicago brings out the best version of the veteran Pau
After the fall of post-rings in California, Pau left as a free agent with the Bulls. There he enjoyed two seasons of outstanding individual performance on a very competitive team from the Eastern Conference, in his first adventure on these shores after an entire career in the West.
Pau was an All-Star those two years with world averages 17.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists, highlighting that 2014-2015 run in which he worked so well. So much so that we’re reflecting on one of his career peaks at the age of 34. 46 points, 18 rebounds and 3 assists on June 26, 2015. His best individual game.
the jump of the brothers
This outstanding and unusual individual performance led him to be a 2015 All-Star starter, a situation in which he coincided with his brother. A unique opportunity that gave an image that is the pride and history of Spanish sport.
Pau and Marc Gasol jumped into the Game of Stars. Pau took the ball.
The conversion to San Antonio
The best thing about the end of Pau’s NBA career is how he knew how to adapt to the modern era. some who banished the use of two classic interior spaces, the post game and the skills with the back to the hoop. Gasol knew how to transition into the Spurs’ sixth man, a shooter and playmaker role.
Defensively he suffered and the pitches punished him, but he learned to take advantage of other records in his game and in his first two seasons with San Antonio he was very useful. Averaged 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 44% 3-point shootingmost of his appearances come from the bench.
From his first season to his last in Chicago, Pau hit 249 triples in 1,042 games at 29%. In two games with Spurs, he kicked 224 and converted 99 for that outstanding 44%. As always, his intelligence and basketball quality dominated.
JULY 6, 1980
A day like today I was born @Pau Gasol
GOLD in VIDEO FORM for his birthday pic.twitter.com/etac8HT62H
— NBA Spain (@NBAspain) July 5, 2018
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