Answer paragraph
Gasol’s excellent outing in the Spanish ACB league made him eligible for the 2001 NBA draft and was drafted 3rd overall in the first round. In 18 seasons he played in the NBA, he became the NBA champion twice in 2009 and 2010, got to be a six-time NBA all-star, and had four All-NBA team selections; twice on the second team and twice on the third team.
Early career
In his first year with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol averaged 17.6 points per game (PPG), 8.9 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.7 assists per game (APG), with 2.1blocks per game (BPG), and scored his first career-high of 32 points.
Kemba Walker was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2016. He was focused on achieving this award when he entered the world’s premier basketball league. Walker had an outstanding first year, and his performance won him the award. ..
In 2013, Gasol was named the MVP of the NBA Finals. He led the Memphis Grizzlies to their first championship in franchise history.
The Memphis Grizzlies failed to make the playoffs despite their star player, Gasol, participating in all 82 games. This was due to the team’s poor record and lack of playoff experience.
In his second season, he averaged 19 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 82 games.
In his third season with the grizzlies, he got the opportunity to play his first playoff series. However, his best efforts couldn’t qualify the team for the next round of the playoffs as the grizzlies were eliminated by the San Antonio spurs by a defeat of 4-0 in the first round.
In the 2004-2005 season, the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Grizzlies in the first round. In the 2005-2006 season, the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Grizzlies in the first round. In both rounds of playoff series, Pau Gasol averaged 21.3 and 20.3 points per game. ..
Traded to the Lakers
In 2007-2008, Lakers player Gasol played for the Grizzlies. However, he was traded to the Lakers mid-season.
He continued playing the rest of the season with his new teammates Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher who were the standout performers for the team that season. ..
In his 27 games with the Lakers, Gasol averaged 18.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game. The Lakers performed above average with a regular-season win/loss record of 57-25.
That season, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics four games to two (4-2). ..
In the 2007-2008 playoffs, Gasol averaged 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks showing that he was more than ready to further prove himself and perform to his best alongside his new teammates. ..
The Lakers maintained their momentum from the previous season and improved on it with a win/loss record of 65-17. This led to them becoming 3rd most winningest team in NBA history.
That season, Kobe Bryant entered the playoffs with a regular-season stat of 18.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.0 BPG. Throughout the playoffs, Kobe Bryant was one of the best players on the court along with Gasol and the whole team as they moved ahead in the finals.
The Lakers beat the Orlando Magic 4-1 to clinch their 15th championship in franchise history. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18.3 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 BPG, winning his first NBA championship in the process.
The Lakers came back strong next season and advanced through the playoffs. They also faced their rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers won the competitive finals series 4-3, winning back-to-back championships. Gasol maintained similar numbers from his previous winning season and elevated his performance in the playoffs by averaging 19.6, 11.1, 3.5, and 2.1 in all 23 playoff games.
Post championship seasons and later years
The Lakers and Gasol had a great three seasons together but they couldn’t seem to get past the second round of the playoffs.
Kobe Bryant was out for the remainder of the 2013-2014 season due to an ankle injury and a fractured left knee. He didn’t return to the court until 2015.
In the meantime, Gasol was traded to Chicago where he spent 2 seasons before getting traded again to San Antonio where he played out most of his remaining career games.
In late 2019, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks where he played only 3 games. After exiting the NBA somewhere in late 2020, he returned to the Spanish ACB league where he played some of his last professional games before retiring on October 5th, 2021. ..
Conclusion
Pau Gasol’s best years in the NBA came with the Lakers. He won his 2 NBA championships and averaged more than 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block for 5 consecutive seasons. His initial years with the grizzlies also come to mind when talking about his best years in the NBA.
On the 75th anniversary of the NBA, Pau Gasol was included in the All-Time NBA European team as part of the NBA 75 vote to celebrate the contribution of European players and their achievements in the NBA. Gasol, who played for Barcelona from 1998-2012, was one of only six players to win an Olympic gold medal with their country (Spain at Beijing 2008), a EuroBasket championship (2006), and an NBA championship (2011 with Los Angeles Lakers). ..
