The moment David Stern called his name Pau Gasol, on Wednesday June 27, 2001, there was a set 44 international players in the NBA. Of those 44 pros, only 8 topped 2,000 minutes in the 2000-2001 season. When the Catalan international played his final minutes on a pitch in the American league, the number rose to 116 with almost 30 of them exceeding the aforementioned time limit. Along the way, two decades in which everything changed.
The way the NBA ecosystem viewed young people on the other side of the Atlantic or in the hemisphere has nothing to do with today. We are now moving in a globalized world where information is transferred at the speed of light and where there is no corner that escapes the control of the franchises in terms of tracking. However, the reality experienced by players like Tony Parker (France), Valdimir Radmanovic (Yugoslavia/Serbia), Raül López (Spain), Mehmet Okur (Turkey), Antonis Fotsis (Greece) or Robertas Javtokas (Lithuania) bear almost no resemblance to what you might experience Victor Wembanyama at present.
It seems like a century has passed since the days when international players had to put up with onerous and unfair stereotypes about their game based solely on their origins. Now the situation is very different. The two The main MVP candidates were not born in the United Stateslike four of the top five scorers, which is why they are valued at their fair value. No clichés, no preconceived notions, no backpacks to carry. Introduction only and exclusively of the game.
And this is the fruit of the work that the players like Pau Gasol they did.
It arrived as a skinny four over 7 feet this one “He likes to play with his eyes on the basket, he can handle the ball and he has skillsGary Fitzsimmons, the Warriors’ GM in 2001, told ESPN that Gasol earned the league’s respect the only way he knew how: by playing at the highest level possible.
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In a few months he was already facing one future MVP like Kevin Garnett was, gaining the pulse to Richard Jefferson in the battle for him Rookie of the Year and following in his footsteps Dirk Nowitzki as an international reference in the league. The story of Pau Gasol’s rise to the NBA is a chapter of vital importance to the evolution of the competition itself, since through it one can verify not only the change in mentality but also the game itself. Yes, the Catalan wasn’t the most muscular player on the pitch, but his physical attributes outweighed the strength, applying unprecedented speed to four of his height.
In the years that followed, many tall or flexible Europeans held important positions in the Draft, some luckier than others, but it was clear that the Grizzlies’ success had not gone unnoticed.
Pau’s sudden and lasting success in the NBA opened the doors for many who came (and will come) after him from the Old Continent.
And it’s that in a competition where it’s enough for someone to get something right to send the rest of the franchises fighting each other to repeat it, the “fashion” is to find the the next Gasol or the next Nowitzki marked the first decade of the 21st century. That’s how they were able to reach the NBA names that would otherwise end up on the lists of the Euroleague or domestic organizations in the time of duty.
“It was really important [para los europeos]”, Goran Dragic tells The Sporting News in Paris. “He was one of the best four or fake five, he could play both positions. What he did for European basketball is incredible. What he achieved in the NBA with a tremendous career, the truth is that I am very happy. It was always difficult to play against him.”
“Pau is a special talent. Very skilled, very competitive”adds Joakim Noah on TSN. “I was very happy to share the pitch with him and he is an even better person off the pitch. He always took care of the rest, supporting the young… I only have good things to say about him. It was a shame that we lost to him in the Eurobasket final. [2011]but he was a champion at the highest level.”
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The fall of the wall that deprived the players who were part of the ecosystem FIBA Pro and maintaining their eligibility with their respective national teams served as the first experience of internationals in the US championship. A primeval stage in which the talent of some of the all-time greats was lost, but which paved the way for the next generation to go further.
“When you play in the NBA you tend to forget the players who came before you. Names like Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc came to the league but it was very different because the Europeans had little chance and had to fight to get them. take”Goran Dragic continues for TSN. “All this helped Pau, it helped me and now we see European players dominate. Giannis, Lukas, Jokic are the ones fighting for the MVP. It’s really amazing to see how European basketball is influencing the NBA today.”.
Retired as one of the top 40 scorers, top 30 rebounders and top 25 blocks in NBA history, Pau Gasol’s legacy extends beyond his 18 seasons in the best league in the world.
The road he traveled, not without problems, not without potholes, served so that there was now a direct and paved bridge from Europe. One where only the game matters and not the origin.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
