At Lausanne, Gasol was literally the big man on campus, but he carried himself with a quiet confidence. He never wore Grizzlies gear to school, though he occasionally came to class in his FC Barcelona jersey. Like his older brother, Marc Gasol is generally thoughtful, reserved and low-key. But he is more fiery and emotional on the court than Pau, and can be a bit of a practical joker among friends. In the last month of his junior year, Gasol stayed at Peters' house, because his parents had returned to Barcelona to take care of family business.
The entire time, Peters worried that Gasol would hit his head on the door frames, or the ceiling fans, or poke his eye out and ruin his basketball career.
On the day Gasol was to fly back to Spain, he ran into the house to grab something and slammed into the doorway between the garage and the kitchen, then doubled over, his hands over his face. I go, 'Marc! He had gone and gotten ketchup out of the fridge and put it all over his face and his hands and faked it.
That transformative first season ended in a sectional playoff game, one win shy of the state tournament — leaving Gasol with a choice: return to FC Barcelona or stay at Lausanne to chase a state championship. In a decision that might be instructive for NBA watchers, Gasol chose to stay. In Gasol's senior season, Lausanne got another big import, this one from Los Angeles.
Jerry West was hired as the Grizzlies' team president, bringing his basketball-playing son Johnnie with him. As a senior, Gasol averaged 26 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks.
He carried Lausanne to the state title game to face Nashville powerhouse Brentwood Academy, whose roster included Brandan Wright now with the Phoenix Suns and four other future Division I athletes. He finished with 18 points on 6-of shooting, a modest end to a memorable high school career. So I was happy that I was able to help them.
It was a good thing for the school, too. Everybody rallied. It was unique. It might have all ended there for Gasol — his basketball stardom, his place in Memphis lore. He was too big, too slow for the top college programs. And he needed more structure, more hands-on work, than NCAA rules would ever permit. In Barcelona, Gasol was reunited with former coaches and teammates from his youth. He lived at La Masia, the famous youth academy for elite soccer and basketball players.
He ate all of his meals there. He practiced or worked out three times a day, splitting time between the first and second teams. And he benefited from the tutelage of Svetislav Pesic, one of Europe's most decorated coaches. Returning home changed everything. Barcelona is where Gasol began reshaping his body, refining his game.
It's where he met his wife, Cristina, who Gasol credits for helping change his diet, and more. I kind of fed off that strength. When you want to do something that you're not supposed to, she's like, 'OK, now. You know she's not doing it for her. You know she's doing it for you. The two now have a five-month-old, Julia, another life change that helped Gasol find clarity in his life and his career.
As human beings, and as men, too, we tend to be problem-solvers, so we put everything on our back. With a little girl, the only thing I put on my back is my wife and my little girl. It simplifies everything.
During his five years back in Spain, Gasol made the national team, won a gold medal alongside Pau in the world championships and put himself on the radar for pro scouts.
And he came to the realization that his NBA dreams were not so far-fetched. Tellingly, DraftExpress also critiqued Gasol's tendency to forgo easy scoring chances in favor of passing to open teammates.
The Lakers selected Gasol with the 18th pick of the second round, 48th overall, that June. But Gasol was rapidly developing into one of Europe's best big men, and by the end of the year, DraftExpress was calling him "an absolute steal, " having improved his shooting range and his confidence. His athleticism was still a question mark, "but to land a player this big with this kind of skill level and basketball IQ is an absolute coup," the site declared. Indeed, had Gasol been drafted a year later, Memphis general manager Chris Wallace says he would have been a top pick.
At that time, Gasol was happily building his life and his career with a team in Girona, Spain, having followed Pesic there.
Once again, Pau would be the one to deliver Marc to Memphis. By , the relationship between Pau and the Grizzlies had frayed badly.
Pau had the All-Star stats but none of the grit or the outward passion that the fans demanded, or the Grizzlies needed. They made the playoffs in , and but never won a single game.
Locally, the Grizzlies were an afterthought, overshadowed by the University of Memphis Tigers. For the two brothers whose styles of play couldn't be more different, can't we have both? Can't we form a truly unstoppable Gasol that takes the best from both worlds? NBA GMs might get their wish with Adria Gasol, the year-old younger brother of the two and possible heir to the Gasol throne, contemplating a basketball career of his own. But as far as sibling rivalries go, big brother can only beat up on little brother for so long.
Pau's drop in production this year is frustrating for many Laker fans, but really, who can blame him? He was shipped to the Houston Rockets in the CP3 trade, nearly traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love and has been hearing calls for his departure all season long.
The talent and skills are still there, but Pau's will has surely been damaged by the incessant trade talk. Perhaps Thursday's trade deadline can serve as closure and give Pau the opportunity to finally settle in for the season and fully embrace a team all too reluctant to return the favor. Regardless of how Thursday's trade deadline plays out, Laker fans must take time from the uncertainty to truly appreciate and give thanks for the two NBA championships and overwhelming success Pau Gasol has brought their city—before it's too late.
Marc may be showing more promise than his brother today, but on that fateful day in , Los Angeles definitely made the right choice. Enjoy our content? He must have been pounds or something crazy. They said, 'Yeah, that's Pau's brother. Gasol was a solid high school player, stuffing the stat sheet in his two years at Lausanne. He posted averages of 26 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks per game his senior year. But despite his big numbers, Gasol and the Lynx came up short in the Tennessee State Championship game, losing to Brentwood Academy and its star freshman Brandan Wright.
Following his senior season at Lausanne, Gasol had limited opportunities at the collegiate level stateside and opted to return to Spain to begin his professional career, work on his game and more importantly, his body. He went on to average He finished second in rebounds per game and third in blocks per game during the playoffs. On June 24, , the Grizzlies extended a qualifying offer to Gasol in order to make him a restricted free agent, giving them the chance to match any offer he might get during the offseason.
During that time, he recorded three double-doubles, earning him Western Conference Player of the Week honors. In —12, he averaged After averaging 7. In —13, Memphis surrendered a league-low According to NBA. Of the players named to both teams, Gasol received the least amount of votes. Gasol backing down Blake Griffin. In —14 , Gasol played a career low 59 games for the season. He was sidelined for two months in November with a knee injury, and in those 23 games he missed, the Grizzlies were just and had a season-high five-game losing streak in that time.
In 59 games with Gasol available, the Grizzlies were — a win pace when extended over a full game schedule. On October 29, , Gasol scored a then career-high 32 points as the Grizzlies defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves — for the franchise's first victory in a season opener since , the year before the team moved to Memphis.
In the Grizzlies' season finale on April 15, Gasol scored a then career-high 33 points in a 95—83 win over the Indiana Pacers. He averaged For his regular season averages of On July 13, , Gasol re-signed with the Grizzlies.
On October 30, , Gasol scored 20 points and hit a career-high four three-pointers in a — overtime win over the Washington Wizards. Over the first 11 games of the season, he made 16 three-pointers; he hit just 12 in his first eight seasons. On March 16, , he recorded his third career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a —91 win over the Atlanta Hawks. On October 21, , Gasol had 34 points and 14 rebounds in a — win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
In November , Gasol passed Zach Randolph 5, to become the Grizzlies' all-time career rebound leader. In December, Gasol made at least one 3-pointer in 13 consecutive games, which tied a career-high. He set a new record in the first game of January, making a 3-pointer in his 14th straight game on January 2 against the Detroit Pistons. The streak ended at 15 games. On January 23, he recorded his fifth career triple-double with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists in a — loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
He made his debut for the Raptors two days later, recording seven points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench in a —99 win over the New York Knicks. Gasol soon stepped into the starting center role in Toronto, and his pass-first offensive approach helped the Raptors become the NBA's top 3-point shooting team over the second half of the season.
After defeating the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games, Marc joins his brother Pau, and his two championships in and , as the first set of brothers to win NBA titles.
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