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In the mid-2000s, the Los Angeles Lakers were floundering after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal. They had the NBA’s top player, Kobe Bryant, but little else around him, and by 2007 it looked like there was no way for them to improve.
Bryant demanded a trade that summer, and it looked like the beginning of the end for the Lakers as millions had come to know them for decades.
Then came the miraculous Pau Gasol trade in February 2008. Suddenly, happy days were back again for the Purple and Gold and their fans.
Gasol was a seamless fit in head coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, and Jackson became an admirer of the big man’s game. However, the “Zen Master” had initial reservations about whether Gasol was what the Lakers needed to resurrect their dynasty.
Via Sportskeeda:
“We had discussed the trade for Pau a season before. My reluctance was that he wasn’t a defensive center and protecting the lane was a priority. However, Andrew Bynum was an important member of the team and allowed Pau to play both positions when the Lakers won back-to-back titles. Pau’s ability to play both positions really made the Lakers a potent offensive team.”
As it turned out, Bynum provided the brawn and defense, while Gasol was the skilled, savvy and versatile second scorer L.A. needed alongside Bryant. Once the Spanish native arrived, the Lakers were suddenly back in the business of winning championships, and that winning got him inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.