Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol may have headed east this offseason, but the Spaniard will forever be known as a Los Angeles Laker. Not only was Gasol’s versatile play and hard work instrumental in three NBA Finals runs (two championships), but his passion and genuine nature touched fans outside of the basketball court. Pau was a basketball genius and a humanitarian.
Thursday night’s trip ended in a 123-118 loss for the Bulls, but love from the Lakers organization and its nation of supporters was enough to get past one of Chicago’s recent struggles.
It was definitely a fateful acquisition of Gasol during the 2007-08 season. The Lakers were in the midst of finalizing a competitive team composed of the core featuring Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum. As Bynum would go down with injury,
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Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak flipped Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and the rights to Pau’s younger brother, Marc Gasol, into a trade package for the Memphis Grizzlies. Pau’s insertion into the Lakers starting lineup saw them go 22-5, ending the regular season as the Western Conference’s best team (57-25).
Gasol was instrumental to continuing Phil Jackson’s famed triangle offense. On top of his unique skill set, Gasol arguably elevated the legacy of Kobe Bryant. Upon his arrival, the Lakers compiled four straight seasons of 50 or more wins (including 65 wins in 2008-09), Bryant’s lone MVP year in 2007-08, and of course Finals wins over the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics.
Gasol brought plenty of joy and success to the storied franchise.
Everyone remembers the failed Chris Paul trade, and Gasol being the centerpiece of the deal. The veto led to him remaining with the team, but the fractured relationship between Gasol and the front office was painfully obvious. Things continued to go sour shortly after for Pau.
After both the Phil Jackson and Mike Brown eras ended, the Lakers replaced both coaches with Mike D’Antoni.
Under his tutelage, Gasol was underutilized and often seen as the scapegoat for the Lakers failure. Things lingered after the team was bounced by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in 2011, and then the formation of a super front line with Dwight Howard was underwhelming in 2012 (the team finished 47-35).
With so many variables and conflicts surrounding Pau, it was definitely time that he took on a change of scenery. Last year was the team’s worst in franchise history, and like the selfless man he is, Gasol stood in battle for the Lakers for one last season. Without Bryant by his side, he led the team as much as possible before succumbing to injury and a looming free agency.
Los Angeles attempted to bring back Pau over the summer, offering him multi-year deals of as much as $29 million. At the end of the day, it was not about the money for Pau, but a chance to compete and be utilized in the most effective manner possible. The Bulls embraced him, and have experience success since adding Gasol.
His move to Chicago looks like an awesome decision. Averages of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game are the most since Pau’s 2010-11 season with Los Angeles. To top off his resurgence, Gasol will make his fifth NBA all-star appearance and the Bulls are one of the NBA’s title contenders.
All is well for Gasol, but despite what went wrong in Los Angeles, the Spaniard still has love for Hollywood.