 Complete Name: Pau Gasol Sáez
Position:
Power Forward / Center
Nickname: Pow
Born:
July 6, 1980, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Height: 7-0 / 2.13 m.
Weight:
260 lbs / 117.9 kg
High School: in Spain
College:
none
Career: Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, 3rd pick overall in 2001. Draft rights traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies (prior to the team's relocation to Memphis) in exchange for Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
Complete NBA Seasons: 6
The Player:
Surprising everybody the Lakers made a trade with the Grizzlies that send erratic Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, the rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's brother), Aaron Mckie's contract and two first-round picks and brought the All-Star caliber forward/center from Spain Pau Gasol.
This 7-0, 27-year-old big men may be the answer to Kobe's prays, bringing the team a solid paint presence that can consistently score in the post and from midrange with a big and refined variety of movements, can rebound when he's in the mood, makes his free throws, knows all the fundaments which makes the life of his teammates easier and despite his youth has a lot of international experience. He's not the greatest defender, but that's not what the Lakers excpect from him but a dependalbe offensive option to take some pressure out from Kobe and that role fits him perfectly.
Shadowed by the performance of an awful Memphis team since 2001-02, Gasol was Rookie of the Year in 2002, an All-Star in 2006 as a reserve center for the West and won the Golden Medal and MVP in the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Championships.
Gasol averaged 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 39 games for Memphis this 2007-08 season and he could share the center spot or even the frontcourt with Andrew Bynum.
With the contract he brings from the Grizzlies, he is due $49.4 million through 2011 after this season, amount that will make the Lakers pay a lot of luxury tax, but that will be the price to keep Kobe here, because Gasol's presence in L.A. roster makes it a championship caliber team. |
| Stats |
Career |
| Points |
18.9 |
| Rebounds |
8.6 |
| Assists |
3.1 |
| Blocks |
1.8 |
NBA Titles:
-
NBA Teams:
Memphis Grizzlies - L.A. Lakers
2001 ACB League Champion with FC Barcelona (Spanish League)
2001 ACB League MVP
2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year (with Memphis)
2006 FIBA World Championship Gold Medal with Spain
2006 FIBA World Championship MVP
More Medals in the European Championships with Spain: Bronze in 2001 and Silver in 2003 and 2007 |
Pau Gasol 
