Tag: Pau Gasol

DeMar DeRozan’s Chicago Bulls tenure compared to Pau Gasol’s

DeMar DeRozan is the first All-Star acquisition the Chicago Bulls have made since Pau Gasol.

Two years ago, the Chicago Bulls signed DeMar DeRozan in the midst of a flurry of moves that signaled a change for the organization. Well, technically, they traded for him, as they completed a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs to land the then-four-time All-Star forward.

Unfortunately, Chicago hasn’t been able to put forth much consistency with DeRozan leading the way. He helped them snap a four-year playoff drought in the 2021-22 season, but they were a first-round exit. And this past year, they were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament, taking a step backward. But Bulls fans should still appreciate DeRozan, says Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation, as the Bulls haven’t added a talent like him in years.

According to Schuster, the last time Chicago added a guy playing at his All-Star peak was when they signed Pau Gasol in the summer of 2014.

“I mean, seriously, we’ve very rarely seen the Bulls add All-Star-caliber talent that was still performing at the peak of their powers,” Schuster wrote. “When they added Wade and Rondo, those two were far past their primes. The last time we saw this would probably be when Pau Gasol joined the mix. He had a back-to-back All-Star campaign and played some truly great basketball in a Bulls jersey. Unfortunately, those teams didn’t achieve much and it’s gotten lost in time. I’m hoping that’s not what happens with DeRozan because – in a vacuum – his stint here has been a great story.”

It’s great to see some star power return to the city of Chicago after years of a rebuild, but hopefully, the Bulls can accomplish more with DeRozan than they did with Gasol.

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Paul George shows love to Rockets’ Alperen Sengun, compares playmaking to Magic Johnson

In a new podcast, Clippers star Paul George says young #Rockets center Alperen Sengun shows playmaking flashes that remind him of several NBA legends, including Magic Johnson.

With averages of 14.8 points (55.3% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, young Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun took a leap forward in his second NBA season.

Even stars like Nikola Jokic, the back-to-back league MVP, went out of his way during the 2022-23 year to urge Houston to run more offense through its creative 20-year-old big man out of Turkey.

Now, add eight-time All-Star Paul George — currently of the Los Angeles Clippers — to a growing list of NBA royalty to show respect to Sengun. On a new episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” George had this to say about Sengun (hat tip Rexwell Villas, Clutch Points):

He’s been doing it all season long and he’s been getting some recognition, but I think more so now. … He’s showing his true personality. His true self is starting to shine through. He’s a big dog. Beast.

He’s got shades of Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol. He’s got shades of Jokic, and the great bigs that can pass, shoot and playmake. I love his game, he can do it all. He’s a super, super high IQ player.

The greatest part of his game is his playmaking. I’ve seen some flashiness where he’s on some Magic (Johnson) type sh*t. He can hoop.

In four games versus the Clippers this season, Sengun averaged 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 30.5 minutes. He shot 56.8%. It certainly seems to have to have caught George’s attention.

The complete podcast can be viewed below, with the Sengun discussion starting at approximately the 53 minute mark.

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Sources: Pau Gasol has been elected into the Hall of Fame

Former Lakers star Pau Gasol will reportedly receive the highest honor in basketball, as he has been voted into the Hall of Fame.

The last few months have been something of an affirmation of the stellar career Pau Gasol had.

The star big man played six and a half of his 18 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. His arrival there in 2008 transformed them from a mediocre team to a bona fide powerhouse.

The Lakers instantly reached the NBA Finals three straight times and captured back-to-back world championships, including one over their hated rivals, the Boston Celtics.

Gasol was recently named a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2023, and he had his No. 16 jersey retired by the Lakers in an emotional ceremony in early March.

According to ESPN sources, Gasol has gained the final nod for the Hall of Fame and will get inducted later this year.

He will go in as part of one of the most star-studded classes ever. Joining him are fellow NBA greats Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker, longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon.

Hammon served as one of Popovich’s assistant coaches; she was the second female assistant coach in league history. During a 2020 game against the Lakers, she took over for Popovich after he was ejected, allowing her to make history as the first female acting head coach in NBA history.

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An emotional Pau Gasol wiped away tears watching his jersey number retired next to Kobe Bryant’s

Gasol on Kobe: “I can’t go on without talking about the person and the face I don’t see.”

Two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol joined an exclusive fraternity of players to have their jersey number retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The six-time All-Star was honored when the organization raised his jersey into the rafters at halftime during the Lakers game on Tuesday. No one in the franchise’s history will ever wear his No. 16 again.

As the former Los Angeles big man watched his jersey retirement unveiling ceremony, he couldn’t help but show all of his emotions — especially after he saw that his jersey would hang directly next to Kobe Bryant’s.

Bryant and Gasol won championships together in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, introduced Gasol to the crowd before the ceremony began:

Gasol’s speech, which was selfless and appreciative of every teammate he had along the way, made sure to address his adoration for the late Bryant.

He said Bryant “elevated” and “inspired” him to be a better player and a better man. Gasol added that Bryant was looking forward to this moment.

Gasol had a press conference about the honor and spoke more about Bryant:

“He definitely inspired me and showed me what it took to be the best player you can be: The work ethic, the dedication, the mindset going into it. He challenged me to be better with his actions, with his words … He was very intentional with his actions. I was in. I was all the way in. I would go as far as he would want me to go and I wanted to win. It was a very special time.”

He said that being around a person of that caliber who demanded excellence helped him rise to the occasion.

Gasol noted that he had to evolve as a player to become an ideal No. 2 to Bryant, but it worked splendidly.

During the ceremony, on the jumbotron, Gasol was also shown a never-before-scene message about him recorded by Bryant. You can watch Bryant’s message for his championship running mate here:

Since Bryant’s passing, Gasol has shared heartfelt messages about their friendship.

He has stayed in touch with Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, and he has gone sailing with the family. Vanessa and her children attended the ceremony on Tuesday as well.

Gasol also named his child, born in 2020, after Kobe’s late daughter Gianna.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Pau Gasol’s Lakers jersey retirement

Lakers fans showed nothing but love for Pau Gasol following the retirement of his No. 16 jersey on Tuesday.

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol was immortalized at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday when the franchise retired his No. 16 jersey at halftime of its game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol gave the Lakers six and a half years of stellar play. Upon his arrival in February 2008, they instantly reached the NBA Finals three straight times while capturing back-to-back championships.

His addition instantly transformed them from a struggling, mediocre team to one that fans will never forget.

It was an emotional ceremony for the Spaniard, who was joined by his wife, children and younger brother Marc, as well as Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Gasol’s beloved teammate Kobe Bryant.

The big man may have been underappreciated during his Lakers tenure, but fans took to Twitter to shower him with love after his jersey was retired.

 

Lakers great Pau Gasol is finally getting the recognition he deserves

Pau Gasol was chronically underappreciated during his tenure with the Lakers, but perhaps those days are over.

On Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers will retire Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey.

It has been a long time coming, but he will finally be fully recognized for being a player who forever changed their fortunes.

When they traded for him on February 1, 2008, they were in a tailspin that had lasted ever since Shaquille O’Neal left in July 2004. Although they had started the 2007-08 season 26-11, they perhaps were a step short of being a true championship contender.

Center Andrew Bynum suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-January, and L.A. struggled without him, meaning there was a very real possibility it would miss the playoffs for the second time since O’Neal’s departure.

On top of that, there was Kobe Bryant’s trade demand, which he hadn’t rescinded since making the previous summer.

But Gasol’s arrival was a watershed moment for him and the Lakers, as they instantly became a juggernaut. They struggled to score around 100 points a game without Bynum, but with the Spaniard on board, they sprouted to approximately 110 a game, which was a ton back in those days.

The Lakers instantly reached the NBA Finals three straight times while winning back-to-back world championships, including one over the hated Boston Celtics.

Yet, many Lakers fans incessantly dogged Gasol throughout his tenure with the team.

Pau Gasol is awarded with Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award

Former Lakers star Pau Gasol was given an award that honors Kobe Bryant’s memory for advocating women’s sports.

Three years after his tragic death in a helicopter crash, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s legacy lives on.

Everyone is familiar with his on-the-court accomplishments: five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, 15 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Defensive team nods, 18 All-Star game appearances and four All-Star game MVPs.

After he retired in 2016, he spent the rest of his days being a coach and mentor to others, including some NBA stars, but what was perhaps most touching was his advocacy for women’s and kids’ sports.

During the 2023 NBA All-Star game on Sunday, Pau Gasol, his championship teammate, was given the Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award.

Shortly after Bryant’s passing, the NBA renamed the All-Star game MVP award after him in order to honor his memory.

Pau Gasol is named a finalist for the basketball Hall of Fame

Former Lakers star big man Pau Gasol is officially just one step away from entering the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

When Pau Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers 15 years ago, he turned their fortunes around.

They had been mired deep in miserable mediocrity since trading Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. Even though Kobe Bryant was at the apex of his powers, it looked like he and the team were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Despite having seemingly very few tradable assets, L.A. landed the star big man from the Memphis Grizzlies, and it immediately took off, reaching the NBA Finals that June and winning the next two world championships.

One of those rings came against the Boston Celtics in a Game 7 that will forever be frozen in immortality for Lakers fans.

On Friday, Gasol took one step closer to achieving personal immortality when it was announced that he was a finalist for the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class.

For his career, the Spanish native averaged 17 points on 50.7% shooting, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game.

The Lakers plan to retire Gasol’s No. 16 jersey on March 7 when they host the Grizzlies.

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On this date: Lakers trade for Pau Gasol

On Feb. 1, 2008, the Lakers drastically transformed their fortunes by trading for All-Star big man Pau Gasol.

Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, is a date that will always stand out for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers.

That afternoon, the team announced it had acquired Pau Gasol, a star big man who had spent his first six and a half seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Better yet, it had surrendered very little to get him, only giving up Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, Marc Gasol and two first-round draft picks that amounted to very little.

This trade instantly transformed the fortunes of both the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Since Shaquille O’Neal had been traded in 2004, the Lakers had been a mediocre team stuck in the middle of the standings and with seemingly no trade capital. Meanwhile, Bryant was upset about having to play on a substandard team.

He had demanded a trade the previous summer, but that all ended with the arrival of Gasol.

In Gasol, L.A. gained a player with virtually no weaknesses. He was an excellent post player with a seemingly endless variety of jump shots and jump hooks down low. He could hit the perimeter jumper and had range out to the 3-point line. He was a fine passer and possessed high basketball IQ, and he could put the ball on the floor and create his own shot a little bit. He was a very good rebounder, and although he wasn’t a defensive stopper or rim protector, he wasn’t a slouch either in that department.

The dividends came instantly. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals that June, losing to the Boston Celtics, and then claimed the next two world championships, including one over Boston in 2010.

As a result of the success he helped bring, Gasol will have his No. 16 jersey retired by the Lakers when they host the Grizzlies on March 7.

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Pau Gasol is candidate to be voted into Hall of Fame

Former Lakers star Pau Gasol may soon join the greatest of the greatest in Springfield, Mass.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 NBA championships largely thanks to their rich tradition of elite big men.

It started with George Mikan in Minneapolis and continued over the decades with Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and now Anthony Davis.

In 2008, the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol, who immediately took them from mediocrity to title contention.Although he was one of the best big men in the league, he has always been underappreciated, even by Lakers fans.

But those days may be coming to an end soon. Gasol is a candidate to be voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gasol’s resume is nothing short of stellar: six NBA All-Star selections, two selections apiece to the All-NBA second team and third team, a Rookie of the Year award in 2002 and, of course, two world championships in 2009 and 2010.

But the Spaniard also boasts an impressive resume when it comes to playing for his native country. That resume includes one FIBA World Cup title, two silver medals and one bronze medal in the Olympics and three EuroBasket titles.

Perhaps the highlight of his career came in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals when he once and for all proved he wasn’t soft by grabbing 18 rebounds to help the Lakers defeat the Celtics, 83-79.

The Lakers will retire Gasol’s No. 16 jersey on March 7, regardless of whether he gets into the Hall of Fame in 2023.

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