Pau Gasol's NBA career highlights as Lakers retire jersey

José Ignacio Pinilla PAU GASOL The forging of a legend

[{"selector":"#anim-863fbcb8-ff9c-478f-b069-c314a9aa9f53","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-331dae47-f83c-4568-acfd-0903129ffb9e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-33.86363596232347%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Pau Gasol’s NBA story began on 27 June 2001, when the Atlanta Hawks drafted him at No. 3 - and immediately traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies.

[{"selector":"#anim-88069293-bf4f-435b-8881-cfa17dd5c23c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.53844%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00410f3c-10b8-44d9-a7d3-559872d5016a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Gasol made his NBA debut for the Grizzlies that November, scoring four points and registering four rebounds in 17 minutes on court.

[{"selector":"#anim-a6d4e789-ebeb-4071-9a96-4f3233ec0968","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d3681e40-6ece-495f-8091-22125b7ab26f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.962474511279936%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] The then-21-year-old went on to average 17.6 points in a stellar first season in Memphis, earning him the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

[{"selector":"#anim-5712dade-3256-49da-81ca-2b7424cbf115","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1722c046-35b6-4d4c-b981-017c65a8422b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-32.499999590412614%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Gasol continued to excel in the NBA in the seasons that followed, earning more awards, a multi-million-dollar extension and a first All-Star selection.

[{"selector":"#anim-8e0ebe8a-0da2-4a78-ac7e-0d203bda8bd5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7daf9bbf-aa76-422d-8e68-0680fd30a231 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.7692307692307693)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"forwards"}] 8 March 2006 is a date forever circled in red in Spanish basketball: Gasol claimed his first NBA triple-double, in a win over the Seattle Supersonics.

[{"selector":"#anim-1308ef49-ce0f-408f-825e-45308d4752fb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-74bf2716-d667-4171-9d46-e2c9f0881115 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(15.566696644700013%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] In February 2008, the Grizzlies traded Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking the beginning of an illustrious chapter in the Spaniard’s career.

[{"selector":"#anim-21695f44-1e30-4692-a15f-3e53fb825d03","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.40015%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89c43411-67b2-4d8b-93ab-b6c0e08843f7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] In his time with the Lakers, Gasol won two NBA championship rings. The first arrived in 2009, after victory over the Orlando Magic in the finals.

[{"selector":"#anim-850b4ef8-7299-4288-9d63-5a6995520745","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-269d380c-9106-4407-8fe2-22f90f69391c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.890461410882924%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] He didn’t have to wait long for the second: it came the year after, when the Lakers beat eternal rivals the Boston Celtics in the title decider.

[{"selector":"#anim-d455b4d1-8840-4098-84f2-101726451daa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-23e59bfe-add6-41e8-8c68-e5f9c8468ea5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.8620689655172413)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"forwards"}] In 2014, Gasol’s memorable spell in LA came to a close. He packed his bags for Chicago, where he would spend three seasons with the Bulls.

[{"selector":"#anim-e543050d-9a11-4cc2-bb19-73e055efcc70","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f88ee2f3-6034-4ace-ac4b-080b4803cffe [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 0.12345709277238391%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] In the Windy City, he registered his best ever points tally in a single game, racking up 46 in a 2015 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

[{"selector":"#anim-98651781-edb0-4c3d-a3f1-872d25fb2cf7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 137.40015%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d088cf1e-2aa9-4948-b033-ea9f7ee15367 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.8928571428571429)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"forwards"}] The following year, Gasol departed the Bulls to sign for another historic NBA franchise, joining Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs.

[{"selector":"#anim-7f271a48-b523-488e-b475-98bc5ba9cc71","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8cb346cb-22d8-445d-9253-bd0b70eb0c9c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.93249554813793%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] After a brief swan song at the Milwaukee Bucks, a foot injury and the pandemic meant the curtain came down on Gasol's NBA career in 2019.