Pau Gasol: Ten years on ...

November 1st 2011 marked the tenth anniversary of Pau Gasol’s arrival at the worldwide famous American basketball league, the NBA. Pau was at the time a skinny lad with a lot of promise, having succeeded in helping FC Barcelona to a couple of domestic titles, if my memory doesn't fail me.

Most experts and analysts in Spain were pretty skeptical about a likely illustrious career, which indeed the 7-footer has had over these ten years, when he signed for a modest franchise, the Memphis Grizzlies. However, Pau had an immediate impact on the team (and the game) and was awarded the "rookie (novato) of the year" trophy. 

I probably don’t need to talk about his subsequent move to the more glamorous LA Lakers, the two championship rings so far, his all-star appearances and even the famous quote by Mr Barack Obama himself (and he knows the stuff, as he played the sport – and still does, it seems), deeming him the best power-forward in the league. 

Of course, I shouldn’t forget to praise what he’s done for my beloved sport in Spain, leading our national team to a string of triumphs worldwide over the last decade. Now he is totally determined and focused to win an Olympic medal (well, the FIBA officials permitting, since they’re usually too lenient with the haughty Americans’ constant travelling violations – pasos, that is) in London this next year; but whatever the outcome, Pau Gasol is to me, no doubt whatsoever, the greatest basketball player ever in our country, isn’t he? The “Michael Jordan of Spain”, as it were.

But not only do I admire Pau as a well-rounded player on the court, but especially off it, as he’s an intelligent, articulate, well educated man (his parents are largely responsible, and his younger siblings, Marc and Adriá, are no exception), who also oozes great charisma and makes me really proud whenever I hear him speak to the media, both domestic and internationally. And the way he speaks English, I mean, he almost sounds like a native American!

So I thought I should end this entry by embedding a couple of interesting interviews (for the sake of listening comprehension) he gave in recent years. The first in June last year to one of the most respected sports journalists in the USA, Ahmad Rashad, a former football all-star himself. Pau talks in his LA home about his background, his family, and his other passions - his “diverse talents and interests”:

Then on a more frivolous note, in January this year Pau was the special guest of the peculiar Scottish-American talk show host, Craig Ferguson.  A far more relaxed atmosphere in the studio. Funny how Craig is amused (and bemused) by Pau's comparison between LA and Barcelona!

So dear Pau, thank you so much for ten years of success in the sport I love but, above all, for being a truly great ambassador of Spain across the world.