Pau Gasol’s NBA career is largely defined by his time with the Los Angeles Lakers as he helped lead the storied franchise to three consecutive Finals appearances and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
Gasol, alongside fellow Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, became a beloved member among the fan base and the franchise honored him by having his jersey retired in 2023. At his peak, Gasol was one of the best big men in the league and was a perfect fit in former head coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.
Nowadays, Gasol simply enjoys taking in basketball games though remains an ardent supporter of Los Angeles. For example, he recently advised the current team to focus on the upcoming 2025-26 season instead of the future.
Another indication that Gasol is all-in on the purple and gold winning is he picked them as the team he wants to see win a championship because of the championship race with the Boston Celtics, via Bloomberg Podcasts:
“In the NBA I have to say the Lakers. We’re behind one, I guess, again with the Celtics so I’ll have to go with the Lakers. Obviously any team that I’ve played for I would love to see them win a championship. I would love for the Grizzlies at some point to win a championship. That was another franchise that invested in me early on when I first got into the league. But at the same time I was happy to see Oklahoma City win the championship this year. I think the team that earns it…congratulations. I’m happy for you.”
The Celtics broke the championship tie in 2024 when they beat the Dallas Mavericks, giving them 18 total compared to 17 for the Lakers. Gasol has every reason to dislike Boston as he saw them twice in the Finals, avenging his 2008 performance with his clutch plays in 2010.
In true Gasol fashion, though, he goes on to wish his other former teams like the Memphis Grizzlies well and hopes to see them win a title. Lastly, he offers up another congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder who won this past June.
Hopefully the Lakers are able to deliver on Gasol’s hopes as the franchise is desperate to bring home another Larry O’Brien trophy.
Pau Gasol praises Buss family for historic run with Lakers
Pau Gasol is a legend in Lakers history and someone the Buss family grew to love as one of their own. After the Buss family decided to sell its majority stake to Mark Walter, Gasol congratulated them on a historic run.
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