Biography of Pau Gasol | Born for basketball
The story of a young Spanish athlete who made reality his dream of playing in the elite of world basketball.
Pau Gasol is the emblematic figure of the high level achieved in recent years by the Spanish basketball. Eminent member of a fifth known as the gold juniors or children in Lisbon,
the season 2000-2001 marked the emergence of his talent: with the F.C.
Barcelona was proclaimed champion of the ACB League and the Copa del
Rey. Hailed as the best player in Spain,
in June 2001 made the leap to the United States to play in the NBA, and
the Memphis Grizzlies, he began his North American career. The NBA granted him the title of rookie, award that distinguishes the best rookie player of the season; no European had won it before him. His
victory in the World Cup 2006 with the Spanish national team and his
move to the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that played in 2008 NBA final,
are the most recent milestones in a trajectory that is far from over. This
young man of stature 2.16 has come true his childhood dream of playing
among the large, making a place in the elite of world basketball.
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez was born in Barcelona on July 6, 1980, though his parents are from Sant Boi de Llobregat. It
is the firstborn son of the technical assistant health (ATS) Agustí
Gasol and Dr. Marisa Sáez, measuring 1.86 to 1.96 meters, respectively. Pau is 2.16 meters (although it has a wingspan of 2.29 meters, thanks to his long arms), weighs 105 pounds and fits a 50. His
brother Marc, born in 1984, measures 2.05 meters and played, in 2001,
the cadets of the boat, while benjamin, Adria, born in 1994, still had
not decided why sport decantaría definitely, though, in addition to the
swimming, playing also basketball.
Basketball had played a key role in the destiny of the family. The parents met thanks to this sport. Agustí
played at Gaudi, in the District of Sagrada Familia, where his parents
ran the winery Gasol, who sold wine to the wholesale, so Pau is
considered a son of this popular neighborhood. The mother played at Cornella. All
members of the family are fond of the R. C. E. Spanish in Barcelona
and, as the paternal grandfather was Director of the C. F. Martinenc,
Pau tried his luck in the rugby and football, until its spectacular
physical development made it tip definitively by the sport of basket,
first in the equipment of the sports school wept and then, at Cornell, the same club where he had played his mother.
Born for basketball
The Cornella, Juanjo
Campos, coach was the first who realized the enormous potential of that
heading and willful young man who, despite his height, began playing
base, which would provide an enviable technique, which tend to lack the
high players. Pau has distinguished itself by its
speed, to see the move in advance and be able to get the ball with the
same efficacy than an accomplished base of 1.85 meters.
It was two seasons at
Cornell, of the thirteen to fifteen, age in which signed for the lower
levels of the boat at the request of the Barça technical Agustín Cuesta,
player of the Cotonificio in the 1970s and early 1980s. He recommended it to other technicians were of the view that it had no body to succeed in basketball. Already at that time, their peculiar physical Constitution made him creditor of the Pink Panthernickname. It was also known as Gasofa, by her last name, and as E.T., because it has very long fingers of the hands.
Gasol landed the boat in his
second season as a junior, with his inseparable friend Juan Carlos
Navarro, who in 1998 became champion of Europe's youth teams and, the
following year, in Lisbon junior world champion, which is the biggest
success in the history of Spanish basketball.
Pau was a guy very disciplined and applied studies. His mother wanted it to be musician. In
fact, between eight and thirteen years he studied solfeggio and piano,
and still sings of wonder, imitating Pavarotti, when it is between
friends.
The day that he decided to study medicine, finally abandoned the music. He arrived at ten in the evening at home after a hard workout and was still able to concentrate to study until the wee hours. However, its path to professionalism prevented him from pursuing these studies. The
abandonment of studies was precisely one of the factors which weighed
more in the family, especially in the mother, for whom intellectual
training is essential if you want to take control of life», even if it
is difficult to reconcile it with the sport's elite.
In the F. C. Barcelona
His career in the F. C. Barcelona was meteoric. After
two seasons with the team junior, which was unveiled in a memorable
final of the Junior Championship of Tenerife in 1998, became a part of
the template that disputed the EBA League 1998-1999, even though he
already actively participated in the trainings of the team that season
was proclaimed champion of the Liga ACB. Even
so, he had no professional tab until the 2000-2001 season, with a
salary of 40 million pesetas and a clause of termination of 580 million,
VAT included.
In the season
1999-2000 won 13 pounds of muscle and, with tab of the subsidiary team,
Barcelona B, played almost all matches with the first team, that
finished League runner-up. Three of
youth that most stood out in those competitions (the own Gasol, Raúl
López and Juan Carlos Navarro) not were invited, however, by national
team coach Lolo Sainz, to compete in the Sydney Olympics, which allowed
them to play the European Championship Junior 2000 Ohrid, where he
conquered the bronze medal.
Gasol did not begin to show
signs of its enormous possibilities until well into the 2000-2001
season, which became the player revelation, especially after her superb
performance in the final of the Copa del Rey, which then refrendaría in
the play off of the ACB League. The club won the double thanks, largely, to the responsibility that Gasol took in the decisive moments. This season, was a leader in mates, with 62, which gives an average of 2.07 per game. He was distinguished, as the best player in the finals of the Copa del Rey in Malaga. He was also elected member of the Ideal quintet of the Euroleague. Finally, he won the trophy of best player in the finals of the ACB League.
NBA road
These statistics caught the attention of NBA Scouts, which is set as a priority the hiring of Gasol. On
June 27, in the majestic setting of the Madison Square Garden in New
York, Pau, accompanied by his nervous parents ("If not so treat me well
now, I get it home", said Marisa), heard how the Commissioner of the
NBA, the influential David Stern, pronounced his name after the Kwame
Brown, chosen as number one by Washington Wizards , and Tyson Chandler, number two at Los Angeles Clippers.
Gasol was chosen by the
Atlanta Hawks, who then gave the rights to the Vancouver Grizzlies, a
Canadian franchise that in the season 2001-2002 should play in Memphis,
Tennessee, and that to gain the services of Gasol broke its maximum
star, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Member of the Dream Team that won the gold medal in the Sydney Olympics. The Grizzlies released its new web page as the only team in the NBA in Memphis with Gasol on the cover.
Urging the Grizzlies in a
party that was lost by injury
"It is fantastic. I
love the NBA and want to play in this League,"said nothing more to be
chosen, by launching a clear message to the managers of the F. C.
Barcelona, whose purpose was to hold two seasons more. Its
privileged position allowed him to pay the termination clause, as there
was in the first three years, but age had a salary cap, you only win in
more than 1.5 billion pesetas tab. A fact to keep in mind is that once expired the first contract of three years as a rookie, the player in question is free and, therefore, able to sign for the team you prefer. Or what is the same: signing the contract of his life in the NBA, by several million dollars.
Pau was fulfilling his
dream and was going to be in the same Championship that their admired
Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, and who knows if with
his great idol, Michael Jordan, who in October 2001 decided to return
once again to the competition and which in its day was also the third in
the draft in 1984. It had also twenty years, but Gasol not forgot that Air Jordan was not consecrated until age twenty-six. No European had reached a high position in the draft. Drazen
Petrovic, Arvydas Sabonis, or Toni Kukoc - which has some physical
resemblance and similar way of playing-, or Vlade Divac, not even the
great German star Nowitzki, whose ninth place in 1998 has been
overshadowed by the fate that ran Gasol.
A simple star
In the first six
months in the United States, as did other mothers of European players,
he was joined by Marisa, who requested a leave of absence in Social
Security. It was not difficult to adapt, as
Gasol, during his stay in New York, had already star treatment, a simple
star who captivated young Americans, somewhat tired of the
eccentricities of their idols. In fact, it was
already a star of television, because on his visit to the NBA Store, she
participated in a TV show along with two other large draft 2001. The
best compliment came you from one of the people who most understand
basketball, Chris Ekstrand, official NBA analyst: «Is a player with
great technical qualities, capable of handling the ball as a base or a
bodyguard, which is very noticeable in a seven-foot player».
Although the team that chose to Pau Gasol in the draft
were the Atlanta Hawks, the operation was already agreed in advance
with the Memphis Grizzlies, that would cross to the Hawks to its maximum
star, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, in Exchange for the Spanish, which gives a
good sample of the interest in Gasol. The
Grizzlies franchise was in the process of reconstruction, since it
abandoned its first settlement in the Canadian city of Vancouver to move
to Memphis, looking for more support from the public.
In this new phase, the Grizzlies executives opted for entertainment and fun. In
addition to the three most prominent players of stay in Vancouver of
the franchise, guard Michael Dickerson, the high eaves Stromile Swift
and Center Lorenzen Wright, the Grizzlies have pierced to Mike Bibby to
Sacramento Kings for Jason Williams, the most brilliant base of the NBA,
in addition to choose in the same draft that Gasol other young talents : the Greek power forward Antonios Fotsis and College star from Duke, in the 2001 NCAA champion, Shane Battier eave. With
all these Wicker, coach Sidney Lowe set out to build a bold, brazen and
spectacular set that compitiese in the West Conference looking to
improve the above situation in Canada.
Gasol with the Grizzlies
Pau Gasol made his debut
on 1 November 2001, in a match in which the Memphis Grizzlies were
defeated by a Detroit Pistons in which its star, Jerry Stackhouse, was
unstoppable in the NBA. The discreet meeting of
Gasol, with 4 points and 4 rebounds, responded to the nerves of the
debutante and the logical period of acclimatisation that awaited him by
front in a competition as demanding as the NBA. However,
the explosion of the Barcelona pivot not took to arrive, and, although
the Grizzlies closed the season with a poor balance of 23 wins against
59 losses, the progression of Gasol exceeded the most optimistic
forecasts. Best rookie (rookie) was elected in November (2001), January and March (2002) before achieving the title of rookie of the year, an award to the regularity and effectiveness of his game that had never before achieved a European player. And the distinguished Americans, include legendary names like Abdul-Jabbar, Bird, Jordan, O'Neal, Vince Carter.
Loaded with full physical
and technical, winning mentality and personal effort, the young Spanish
pivot played his first year with the best in the World Basketball
without prejudice and without complexes and won your website. The numbers immediately endorsed the magical season of the catalan pivot. He played an average of 36.7 minutes in 82 games and achieved surprising averages of 17.6 points; 8.9 rebounds; 2.1 plugs per game and 2.7 assists. No other rookie did best and 117 of 126 journalists who choose the best rookie in the NBA gave their vote to Gasol. Only nine players, since the institution of the award in 1953, won in his day with a higher percentage of votes. Extraordinary news for Spanish sport.
2003 was the year of confirmation of Gasol. More
than fulfilled expectations that had awakened in his debut, clinched
his leadership in the club and claimed a deserved prominence in the best
League in the world. He was also the star of the Spanish team that achieved the silver medal at the Europeans in Sweden. On his return to the discipline of the NBA, Pau renewed his contract with the Grizzlies until 2005.
In April 2004 it signed a
very important page in the NBA, as the Grizzlies, Gasol having one of
its star, and although they fall eliminated in quarterfinals 4 - 0
against the champions, the San Antonio Spurs, they got very creditable
way access to the demanding play off of the most important League in the world. Never this team had come so far in its ten years of franchise, so its elimination had an unmistakable air of triumph. This
success helped strengthen the excellent evolution of the Spanish pivot,
who finished the season with an average of 17.7 points per game, 7.5
rebounds and 31.6 minutes played.
With the Spanish team
In September 2004, after his
great performance in the Athens Olympics, despite the disappointing
outcome of the Spanish national team (finished seventh, after having
been first in its group, winning all matches; their crossing into
quarters with a lackluster United States was fatal), was elected best
European player of 2004 by the International Federation of basketball
(along with Russia's Maria Stepanova at women's category).
In January of 2005 reached
record 5.023 points achieved in his career in the NBA, in which up to
that time had played 275 games. That season ended in similar manner to the previous: the Grizzlies reached again the play off
of the NBA, but again ended up losing in first phase against the San
Antonio Spurs, despite the great performance of the catalan pivot. Gasol numbers were even better than the previous season: an average of 18.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and 32 minutes played.
The 2005-2006 season started brilliantly for Gasol. For
February 2006 already amounted to 48 matches played, with the following
average per game stats: 18.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 39m 24s of game. With
these numbers it seemed a serious contender to play the All Star, the
"party of the stars", but the votes of the fans were not enough. However,
it was precisely that "more you know", the coaches of each of the NBA
teams, which decided that the catalan played the party one of the
greatest honors that can receive a basketball player. Thus,
on February 19 the dream became a reality: a Spanish rose, for the
first time to the stadium to play the legendary exhibition game, which
this time was setting the Toyota Center in Houston. The
role of Gasol in the party was also very commendable, because it got to
be the maximum reboteador, with twelve, while he failed to score any
basket.
Gasol in the 2006 All Star (all-star game)
Shortly after his
participation in the "game of the stars" got a new record of annotation
in his NBA career: 39 points, achieved against the Washington Wizards in
the same month of February 28. Shortly
thereafter, in a showdown against the Seattle Supersonics, got its first
"triple double": 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Nevertheless, his team, which returned to qualify for the playoff,
fell defeated 3-0 in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks for a huge
Dirk Nowitzki, which clouded not an excellent performance of the
catalan pivot.
The world champion with Spain
In top form, and once
completed its season in the NBA, the catalan pivot set out to prepare,
along with his companions of selection, the World Cup which was to be
held in Japan. The new coach, Pepu Hernández,
built a robust set that veterans Garbajosa and Jimenez were joined by
the big names of the famous Gold juniors, as Navarro,
Kings or heads, who accompanied at the same time new talents of Spanish
basketball, as José Manuel Calderón, Rudy Fernández, Sergio Rodríguez
and Mumbrú, in addition to the surprise of the brother of Pau , Marc Gasol, who joined at the last moment by the injury of Fran Vázquez.
With a start brilliant, it
seemed that there was no rival to the height of the Spanish group, Gasol
and yours arose in Japan with greater confidence and eager to make a
great paper. Thus, they won easily to all his rivals in the preliminary round, and were gradually saving pitfalls on your way to the final. First it was Serbia and Montenegro, which won a resounding 87-75. In
the quarter, feared cutting so many times was the sword of Damocles for
the national team, Spain got beating the dreaded Lithuania for an even
more forceful 89-67.
Thanks to combinations and
first place in the preliminary phase, Spain did not have to deal with
the so-called "black beast" of the Championship, the United States, but
had to suffer unspeakable to beat a stony Argentina in the semifinal in a
final match of infarction, with a point above for Spain and possession
of several seconds for Argentines. The slogan of Hernandez was a fierce defense and the absence of faults; the move went well, and the triple launched by Nocioni did not enter basket. However,
the big news of the presence at the end of the Spanish team was marred
by another: Pau Gasol, which until then had been the reference of the
Spanish team, and that had an average of 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds in
the Championship, fell injured and will miss the final.
Garbajosa and Marc Gasol out to Pau on the Court
after injury in the semifinal against Argentina
Before this hard drink,
team concentrated even more and wanted to devote the achievement of the
title to the great Barcelona pivot. The "review" that gave Greece was anthology, because the end result was 70-47. The
staff had this Gasol as if you were on the track, and such was the
recognition of his work which was elected "most valuable player" of the
tournament, despite losing the final.
With all this, to his
excellent achievements Gasol added also nothing less than a world title
in an unforgettable year for himself and his companions of the
selection. The most bitter chapter, doctors gave
the pivot the news that his recovery would be at least four months of
low, so Pau is resigned to losing much of the beginning of a more
Spanish than ever, NBA because apart from it would play in the best
League in the world the Spaniards Juan Manuel Calderón, Jorge Garbajosa
and Sergio Rodríguez.
Finally, Los Angeles Lakers
The season 2006-2007 was a
step backward for the team of Gasol, the Grizzlies, who without him for
much of the season due to the injury produced in the world, failed to
reach the playoffs for the title. In the summer of 2007, Gasol returned to be part of the Spanish national basketball team to compete in the Eurobasket in Spain. Selection
by Gasol made a great Championship after initially hesitant, until you
reach the end, where sadly was overcome by Russia, with last shot failed
by the own Gasol that left the gold medal the hosts.
The 2007-2008 season began
with enthusiasm and forces renewed for the Grizzlies, who also were
reinforced by another Spanish player who ventured in the best League in
the world and a great friend of Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, coming from
FC Barcelona of the ACB. After a promising start
of the season, the team was gradually getting worse, dragging a large
number of consecutive defeats despite the efforts of the Spanish pair.
Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant in the Lakers
Surprisingly, and after
much speculation and rumors, Pau Gasol was traded to Los Angeles Lakers
on February 1, 2008, thus achieving the desire of the player to deploy
their talent in a team with real aspirations to get the Championship. The
beginning of Gasol in the Californian team, under the leadership of
Kobe Bryant, could not be more promising, achieving link ten consecutive
wins in their first matches. The own Kobe Bryant praised the game deployed by the Spanish, which he described as "incredible". Together led to the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the playoff
of the NBA, after defeating the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and San
Antonio Spurs: for the first time a Spanish came to an end of the NBA. And
though the Lakers fell in the final against the Boston Celtics (4-2),
already almost all the experts believe that someday Pau Gasol will be
part of the winning team of the best League in the world.
Chronology of Pau Gasol
| 1980 | Born in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona) |
| 1993-1997 | It takes its first steps at Sant Boi and at the lower levels of the Unió Esportiva Cornellà, one of the quarry of the F. C. Barcelona clubs. |
| 1997-1998 | Plays on the team junior of the F. C. Barcelona, who won the Junior Championship of Spain. |
| 1998-1999 | He participated in the Spanish League Amateur Basketball Association (EBA), but already play some matches in the ACB with the F. C. Barcelona. With the Spanish team youth wins the European Junior Championship (Varna, 1998) and the Junior World Championship (Lisbon, 1999) |
| 1999-2000 | It remains in the EBA team, but played almost all matches in Liga ACB with the first team of the F. C. Barcelona. |
| 2000-2001 | It reveals your potential winning the Copa del Rey and the ACB with the F. C. Barcelona. |
| 2001 | He was elected in the third position of the draft , the NBA and tab by Memphis Grizzlies. A European had never reached a position so high in the system of choice for NBA players. |
| 2001-2002 | He made his debut on 1 November 2001 with the Memphis Grizzlies. At the end of the season he was elected (rookie or rookie) rookie of the year, award achieved for the first time by a European player. |
| 2002-2006 | Become fundamental piece for the Memphis Grizzlies, he leads his team to challenge the NBA playoff in 2004 (for the first time in the history of the Grizzlies), in 2005 and in 2006. |
| 2006 | He was selected to play All Star or "game of the stars", in which was the maximum reboteador. He won the Japan World Championship with the Spanish national team. |
| 2006-2008 | The Grizzlies play gets worse and they begin to run rumors about his possible transfer. |
| 2008 | Tab by Los Angeles Lakers, where forms pair perfectly blended with the mythical Kobe Bryant. The team won the Western Conference Championship, but lost the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. |
Pau Gasol with the Lakers (2008)
Palmares of Pau Gasol
With F. C. Barcelona
- Spain Championship Junior (1998)
- Copa del Rey (2001)
- Liga ACB (2001)
With the Spanish team
Youth selection
- Gold medal at the European Junior Championship (Varna, 1998)
- Gold medal at the Junior World Championships (Lisbon, 1999)
- Bronze medal in the European Junior Championship (Ohrid, 2000)
Senior team
- Bronze medal in the European Championship (2001 Turkey)
- Silver medal in the Championship of Europe (Sweden, 2003)
- Gold medal at the World Championship (Japan, 2006)
- Silver medal at the European Championship (Spain, 2007)
The Spanish basketball team received in 2006
the Prince of Asturias Sports Award
In the NBA
- Champion of the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers (2008)
Individual mentions
- Best player of the finals of the ACB League (2001)
- Best player of the finals of the Copa del Rey (2001)
- Member of the dream team of the Championship of Europe (Sweden, 2003)
- Best European player according to the international basketball Federation (2004)
- Most valuable player of the Western Conference of the NBA (2005 and 2006)
- Most valuable player of the Championship of the world (Japan, 2006)
- Member of the dream team of the World Championship (Japan, 2006)
- Member of the dream team of the European Championship (Spain, 2007)
Extracted from the website: Biografías y Vidas
