More Gasol, more Spain
Pau Gasol arrived at the 2001 NBA Draft without many options to terminate his contract at Barcelona. Atlanta Hawks made a surprise by selecting the centre from Saint Boi in the third round and traded him to Memphis in exchange for the rights to Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The most brilliant story of a Spanish player in the NBA began.
From Memphis to Los Angeles to win two NBA championship rings alongside his friend Kobe Bryant. Then he went through Chicago, San Antonio, Milwaukee until arriving in Portland. In the north of the Pacific he had to stop and recognise that injuries were there to try to end his career. His left foot has kept him sidelined for the last year. While recovering, he has suffered the death of Kobe Bryant, has lived through the pandemic sweeping the world and has been moved by the birth of his first daughter.
Gasol was not expected to attend the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because of his injury. He has never missed an event since Athens 2004. He was a silver medallist in Beijing and London and bronze in Rio 2016. Now there is a slim hope of being at another Olympic Games 17 years later. Pau Gasol's leadership in Sergio Scariolo's squad goes far beyond his presence on the court and any coach would agree.
Barça moves in uncertainty. A powerful club is suffering a historic economic crisis that will leave its sporting project badly damaged. Football drives the Catalan club and the rest of the sections are fed by what Messi and company earn. While the Argentinian decides what to do with his future, basketball is weaving a homogeneous and winning squad. The Copa del Rey victory over Real Madrid was a wake-up call about what Sarunas Jasikevicius' team can do in the ACB and, above all, in the Euroleague.
Nike executives are rubbing their hands together. Barça's, too. The clothing brand will have one of its icons touring Europe with its models. The future president of the azulgrana club will be able to renegotiate and sign new contracts with the lure of Pau Gasol.
Gasol's recovery involves reducing the intensity of his sport and focusing on his feet. The CBA is not the NBA. The Catalan centre has played almost 1,400 games in 20 years in the United States. The demands of a club like Barça are somewhat less demanding, although the performance in Spain and in the Euroleague will help him to get ready for Tokyo. Fewer games, fewer minutes. Quality time in each game to get back to competing little by little.
On the court, Gasol will also test Jasikevicius to get the best out of him. Barça has more low post and will now be able to play open to take advantage of Gasol's three-point shooting. The opening and continuation blocks will also improve a lot because of his vision. Mirotic, Higgins... great players who are going to benefit from a centre who is solid in the game.
The big question remains as to how much Pau Gasol will earn at Barça. The salary cap, the debts and all that bleeding the club in recent years. His contract will not be that of the NBA, but neither will he be able to play for free out of ethics and respect for the sport which has given him everything. That's the least of it. A guy who has gone beyond basketball. A national emblem. A social and sporting reference. One of those sportsmen who was consulted by the Royal House by video call in the return to normality that never came to be.
Gasol is not coming to Spain for a golden retirement. Let no one think that he is coming to Barcelona to prove himself or to demonstrate anything. A winner does not know how to be active with the handbrake on. If Barça wins, Spain wins.
