NBA Draft: Top 30 draft steals in league history

Best NBA Draft steals of all time: Los Angeles Lakers

Some would argue that Marc Gasol’s last name was the driving force behind the Los Angeles Lakers selecting him with the 48th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Marc’s older brother, Pau Gasol, already had six successful NBA seasons — including an NBA All-Star Game appearance — when he entered the draft.

After spending five seasons playing professional basketball in Spain, Marc Gasol entered the NBA Draft. Halfway through his rookie season with the Lakers — where he did not play — Gasol was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for none other than his older brother.

Now it is easy to debate that Marc could be the better basketball player of the two.

In his 11 seasons with the Grizzlies, Gasol became a three-time NBA All-Star, earned two selections to the All-NBA team and became the Defensive Player of the Year in the 2012-13 NBA season.

His defensive style of play — coupled with a few ferocious teammates — earned Memphis the “Grit-N-Grind” moniker that is still well-known today.

While Gasol has aged, he has shown a unique ability to adapt his game to stay relevant in the modern NBA. He has taken more 3-point shots in the last three years of his career than he did in his first eight seasons combined. Couple that with his high basketball IQ and ability to serve as a defensive anchor and it’s easy to see why he is still being vastly productive at 34 years old.

Although he may have been overshadowed by his older brother at times, Marc Gasol has proven repeatedly that he is one of the best draft steals in NBA history.