Pau Gasol
Unlike many great Lakers, Pau Gasol did not start his career wearing the coveted purple and gold. Instead, Gasol was a star on the Memphis Grizzlies.
Gasol played six and a half years with the Grizzlies until he was traded to the Lakers in 2008.
Once the Lakers acquired the Spaniard, they would instantly turn into championship contenders.
The Lakers went from a possible seventh seed, to the best team in the West in the blink of an eye.
The Lakers have not seen many great power forwards in their 50+ seasons in Los Angeles, but no other player had made a quicker impact on the Lakers than Pau Gasol.
In just three years, the Lakers have gone to three NBA Finals and have come out victorious in two of them.
Gasol is currently playing in his fourth year with the Lakers, and he has averaged 19.1 points per game, 3.6 assists per game and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Pau Gasol has to be credited for the Lakers resurgence in the late 2000s; the Lakers would not be where they are today if it weren’t for Pau Gasol. For that reason, Pau Gasol has survived the cut and is named the starting power forward.
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