Pau Gasol Sáez (Catalan:[ˈpawɣəˈzɔl],Spanish:[ˈpawɣaˈsol]; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professionalbasketball player who played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, primarily as a power forward. He was a six-timeNBA All-Star and a four-timeAll-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won twoNBA championships with theLos Angeles Lakers in2009 and2010. He was theNBA Rookie of the Year in 2002 with theMemphis Grizzlies, the first non-American to win that award. He is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time and one of the greatest European players of all time.[4][5][6][7] He is the older brother of former NBA playerMarc Gasol.
Gasol was selected by theAtlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the first round of the2001 NBA draft, but his rights were traded to theVancouver Grizzlies. He holds the Grizzlies' franchise record for free throws made and attempted.[8] Following more than six seasons with Memphis, Gasol played for the Los Angeles Lakers (2008–2014),Chicago Bulls (2014–2016),San Antonio Spurs (2016–2019), andMilwaukee Bucks (2019).
Internationally, Gasol has won aFIBA World Cup title, threeEuroBasket titles, twoOlympic silver medals, and anOlympic bronze medal with theSpanish national basketball team. Gasol was named MVP of the2006 FIBA World Cup and the 2009 and 2015FIBA EuroBasket. Pau Gasol shares (withKrešimir Ćosić) the record for most EuroBasket MVP awards, with two each. Gasol is also the all-time leading scorer in theEuroBasket.
In 2021, he became a member of theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC).[9] In 2023, it was announced that Gasol would be inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[10]
Gasol was born inBarcelona. Both of his parents played basketball in organized leagues. His father Agustí, a nurse administrator, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), and his mother Marisa, a medical doctor, was 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m).[11] When Gasol was born, his family was living inCornellà, although he was born inBarcelona, atSant Pau Hospital,[11] where both of his parents worked. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to a city close to Barcelona,Sant Boi de Llobregat, where he spent the remainder of his childhood.[12] Gasol was interested in football, but loved basketball. The first sport he played was actuallyrugby, before switching to basketball.[13] He is described as "a family boy and the perfect student, a tad shy, and a bit of a joker."[12]
He originally did not want to make sports his career. On the day thatMagic Johnson announced his HIV-positive status in 1991, the 11-year-old Gasol, who had heard the news in school, decided that he wanted to be a doctor and find a cure for AIDS. He enrolled in medical school at theUniversity of Barcelona in 1998, but left after one year as his basketball career at FC Barcelona advanced.[14][15][16]
Gasol began playing basketball as a center with his school team, Llor, and eventually signed withCornellà.[12] When he was sixteen, he began playing forFC Barcelona's junior team.[12] WithSpain's national under-18 team, he won both the 1998Albert Schweitzer Tournament and the1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.[17] Gasol made his debut on January 17, 1999, with the senior team of FC Barcelona[18] and played just 25 total minutes in the SpanishACB League's1998–99 season, and averaged 13.7 minutes per game in the ACB the next year.[19] However, in his final season in the ACB, Gasol averaged 12.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game.[19] FC Barcelona was victorious in theSpanish National Cup's2001 Final's championship game, and Gasol was named theMost Valuable Player of the tournament.[17] After entering the NBA draft, Gasol was selected third overall in the first round of the2001 NBA draft by theAtlanta Hawks,[20] who traded his draft rights to theVancouver Grizzlies in exchange forShareef Abdur-Rahim and the Grizzlies' 27th pick in the draftJamaal Tinsley.[21]
In his first season with the Grizzlies, Gasol became the first foreign player to win theNBA Rookie of the Year Award,[22] and was named to theNBA All-Rookie First Team.[23] He averaged 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and was also the only team member to play in all 82 games that season.[24] Gasol led the team in scoring (19.0 points per game) in his second year with the Grizzlies, and for the second year in a row, played in all 82 games.[24] Gasol missed the first game of his career, during his third year, with a foot injury on April 5, 2004, which snapped his string of 240 consecutive games played.[25] He grabbed the 1,500th rebound of his career on November 12, 2003, against theOrlando Magic and scored his 3,000th career point on October 31, 2003, against theBoston Celtics.[26] Despite having 22 points in Game 4 against theSan Antonio Spurs, the highest by a Memphis players in theplayoffs, his team was eliminated in the first round, not winning a single game against San Antonio. This was both the Grizzlies and Gasol's first trip to the NBA Playoffs.[27] Following the season, Gasol signed a six-year, $86.5 million extension that began in the 2005–06 season and last through the 2011–12 season.[28] On January 11, 2005, he scored 31 points and blocked four shots against theIndiana Pacers to earn 5,000 points and 500 blocks in his career, becoming the 10th fastest player to reach 5,000 points/500 blocks since 1973–74.[26] He also helped his team make it to theplayoffs for the second time in his career, but they were eliminated in the first round and did not win a single game against thePhoenix Suns.[29]
In his fifth year with the Grizzlies, he became the franchise's all-time leading rebounder on March 24 against theNew York Knicks when he grabbed his 3,072nd rebound in a Grizzlies uniform.[26] He made 29 consecutive free throw attempts from January 24 to 28, tying the second best mark in Grizzlies history, including two straight games going 12–12 from the line, tying the best single-game mark in franchise history.[26] Gasol and the Grizzlies returned to theplayoffs for the third time in his and his team's history. Once again, they were eliminated in the first round and did not win a single game against theDallas Mavericks.[30]
On February 9, 2006, making his first appearance, Gasol was selected to play in the2006NBA All-Star Game inHouston, Texas as a reserve center for theWestern Conference. At the time, he was one of four players ranked among Western Conference forwards in the top ten in points, rebounds, assists and blocked shots.[31] He was the first Spanish basketball player as well as the first Grizzlies player to ever make it to the All-Star Game.[31]
Gasol missed the first 23 games of the2006–07 NBA season due to a broken foot suffered near the end ofSpain's semifinal win overArgentina in the2006 FIBA World Championship.[26] He would go on to be named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, which Spain won.[26] He had a season-high 34 points (most by a Grizzly that season), and eight rebounds and tied a career-high and franchise record with eight blocks on January 29 against theSacramento Kings,[32] and surpassedShareef Abdur-Rahim as the franchise's all-time leader in free throw attempts on January 31 against theDallas Mavericks.[26] He became the all-time franchise leader in field goals made on February 6 against theHouston Rockets,[26] and became the all-time franchise leader in minutes played on February 7 at Dallas.[26] He surpassed Shareef Abdur-Rahim (7,801 points) as the Grizzlies' all-time leading scorer on March 7, 2007, against theToronto Raptors (7,809 points at the time).[26] On January 24, 2007, Gasol recorded his second careertriple-double against the hostingUtah Jazz, garnering 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. He also registered 2 blocks and one steal.[33]
On February 1, 2008, Memphis traded Gasol to theLos Angeles Lakers along with a2010 second round draft pick forKwame Brown,Javaris Crittenton,Aaron McKie, the rights toMarc Gasol (Pau's younger brother), and2008 and2010 first round draft picks.[34] There has been some controversy surrounding the trade.Chris Wallace denied in anESPN article that he had been ordered by ownerMichael Heisley to make the Grizzlies more attractive to a potential buyer. Wallace said, "No one put pressure on me to do this, and Michael Heisley has actually been reluctant to move Pau." He also said that they had been "trolling" the waters for a while and dealt with a number of teams. He selected the Lakers deal because "it didn't get any better than this."[34] When Gasol departed the Grizzlies, he held twelve franchise records, including games played, minutes played, field goals made, free throws made and attempted, offensive, defensive, and total rebounds, blocked shots, turnovers, and points. Per game statistics, he leads Memphis in defensive and total rebounds along with blocked shots.[35]
After being traded to the Lakers, Gasol lived inRedondo Beach, across the street from the shoreline.[36] On February 5, Gasol made his first Lakers appearance in a game against theNew Jersey Nets, during which he scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds in a 105–90 win over the Nets.[37][38] On March 14, Gasol sprained his ankle in a game against theNew Orleans Hornets, stepping on the foot of teammateVladimir Radmanović in the first quarter.[39] Gasol was expected to miss the remaining three games of the Lakers' road trip afterx-rays came up negative.[40] Gasol returned to the starting lineup on April 2 against thePortland Trail Blazers and played nearly thirty-two minutes, registering 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists.[41] He admitted to feeling limited with the swelling in his ankle still present.[41] Gasol helped the Lakers finish the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference (57–25), with him in the starting lineup the Lakers went 22–5.Kobe Bryant has also stated that playing with Gasol clicked from the start.[42]
In the Lakers' opening game of theplayoffs, he contributed 36 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots.[42][43] When the Lakers swept theDenver Nuggets in the first round, it was Gasol's first trip to the second round in four tries. His previous team, the Grizzlies, failed to reach the playoffs for the second year in a row. He contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds in Game 6 against theUtah Jazz to help the Lakers advance to the conference finals.[44][45] On May 31, he recorded a career high 19 rebounds in a series-clinching win against theSan Antonio Spurs, and he became the firstSpaniard to reach the NBA Finals.[46][47] Gasol scored 14.7 points per game on .532 shooting in the2008 Finals against theBoston Celtics, which was below his scoring average of 18.9 during the regular season, However, he led the Lakers in rebounding with 10.2 per game throughout the championship series,[48] up from his regular-season average of 8.4.[26] Los Angeles lost in six games against Boston in the Finals, including a 131–92 loss in Game 6.[49] In the Playoffs, Gasol was the second leading Laker in points (16.9), rebounds (9.3) and assists per game (4.0).[50] He was the leader in blocks per game (1.90) and was tied with Lamar Odom with the most postseason double-doubles (10).
On January 2, 2009, in a win against the Utah Jazz, Gasol scored his 10,000th career point. Gasol earned his second All-Star appearance as a reserve for theWestern Conference squad during the2008–09 NBA season, his first as a Laker. He was also named Western Conference Player of the Month after helping the Lakers to an 11–2 record for the month of February that included road wins over Boston and Cleveland. He finished the regular season with averages of 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1 block per game. Gasol then won his first NBA championship ring when the Lakers defeated theOrlando Magic in the2009 Finals.
On December 24, 2009, Gasol signed a 3-year extension with the Lakers worth $64.7 million.[51] Gasol earned his third All-Star appearance as a reserve for theWestern Conference and finished the regular season with averages of 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks. In Game 6 of the first round, Gasol grabbed 18 rebounds and his last-second putback eliminated theOklahoma City Thunder.[52] In the conference semifinals against theUtah Jazz, he averaged 23.5 points and 14.5 rebounds, and finally in the conference finals against thePhoenix Suns, he averaged 19.7 points with 7.2 rebounds. In Game 7 of theNBA Finals against theBoston Celtics, Gasol scored 19 points, (6–16 FGM-A, 7–13 FTM-A) grabbed 18 rebounds and recorded two blocks as the Lakers repeated as champions. He averaged 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game in the series, on a 47.8% field goal percentage. In 2010, he was chosen as the 15th-smartest athlete in sports bySporting News.[53]
Challenged by Lakers' coachPhil Jackson to be more assertive while Bryant recovered from offseason knee surgery, Gasol started the season's first week averaging 25.3 points on 52.5 percent shooting, 10.3 rebounds, and five assists per game as the Lakers started 3–0. He was namedWestern Conference Player of the Week.[54] He earned his third straightAll-Star selection and his season averages of 19 points and 10 rebounds were nearly identical to what he had put up as a Laker the previous three seasons.[55] Pau's play also merited himAll-NBA second team honors for the first time in his career.[56] In theplayoffs, Gasol only averaged 13 points on 42% shooting over 10 games, and the Lakers were swept by theDallas Mavericks in the second round. Gasol had the worst post season performance of his career.[55] Lakers Hall of Famer and ESPN analystMagic Johnson cited Gasol as a possible trade option for the Lakers to acquireMagic centerDwight Howard.[57] Gasol ignored the false reports about his relationship status with his girlfriend as the cause of his poor performance and has accepted the criticism of his play as valid.[57]
During the2011–12 NBA season, Gasol and teammateLamar Odom were subjected to trade rumors involving formerNew Orleans Hornets guardChris Paul. After the trade fell through, Gasol vowed that it would not affect the way he played. Odom, on the other hand, was angry at the Lakers and was traded to the 2010–11 NBA championDallas Mavericks for a future first round pick. After Lakers co-captainDerek Fisher was traded in March 2012, Gasol joined Bryant as co-captains of the team.[58] He won the 2011–12 seasonlongNBA Community Assist Award.[59]
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After a 1–4 start to the2012–13 season, the Lakers replaced head coachMike Brown withMike D'Antoni. Gasol was struggling after seven games under D'Antoni, averaging 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 38.8 percent, and he was benched in the fourth quarter in multiple games.[60][61] The team had difficulties getting Gasol involved in D'Antoni's offense, which historically had not had post players playing forward.[62] Gasol ranked only 27th in the league inpost-up points with 2.7 per game, down from prior seasons when he was fifth in 2010–11 and ninth in 2011–12.[63] On November 18, 2012, in a win against the Houston Rockets, Gasol scored his 15,000th career point. Bothered bytendinitis in both knees since training camp, Gasol sat out eight games in December before returning to the starting lineup.[61][64][65] Later, he was diagnosed withplantar fasciitis, but continued playing.[66][67] General managerMitch Kupchak told Lakers season-ticket holders the team needed Gasol to be more involved.[68] On January 7, 2013, Gasol received a blow to the face from Denver'sJaVale McGee in the fourth quarter of a 112–105 loss. He suffered a concussion, forcing him to miss the next five games.[69][70] In his first game back, he came off the bench after having started his first 345 games with the Lakers.[70] In the next game, he returned to the starting lineup and scored 25 points against Toronto, only his second 20-point game of the season.[71] However, in the next game on January 21, D'Antoni moved Gasol to a reserve role and startedEarl Clark, a change the coach considered permanent.[72] On February 5 against theBrooklyn Nets, Gasol tore theplantar fascia of his right foot. Gasol had tweaked the fascia in the first half, but played through the soreness until he felt it pop when he tried to block a shot byBrook Lopez towards the end of the game.[73] He returned over six weeks later on March 22 after missing 20 games, with D'Antoni returning him to the starting lineup over Clark.[74][75][76][77] After a two-game adjustment period, Gasol's play was solid, and Bryant insisted that Gasol receive the ball in the post.[75][78] D'Antoni stated that Gasol had played well since January, and attributed the forward's earlier struggles to injuries and the team's evolving offensive system. "I have a lot more confidence in him now, and he's playing great", D'Antoni said.[79] He finished the season with career lows in points (13.7) and field-goal percentage (.466), and his rebounds (8.6) were his lowest since his first season with Los Angeles. He was limited to a career-low 49 games.[80] However, he had three triple-doubles in his last seven games including the playoffs.[81]
Gasol was owed $19.3 million in2013–14 in the final year of his contract, which cost the Lakers around $50 million includingluxury taxes.[80] He became a free agent after the season.
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On July 18, 2014, Gasol signed with theChicago Bulls on a three-year, $22 million contract with a player option in the final season.[82] He said after he was introduced: "It was a gut feeling. I thought Chicago was going to be the best fit for me. It's a great challenge, but I'm driven by challenge. I look forward to it."[83]
On January 1, 2015, Gasol recorded a career-high 9 blocks, along with 17 points and 9 rebounds, in the 106–101 win over theDenver Nuggets.[84] Ten days later, he scored a career-high 46 points on 17-of-30 shooting in a 95–87 win over theMilwaukee Bucks.[85] On April 9, 2015, he recorded a league-best 51st double-double of the season with 16 points and 15 rebounds in an 89–78 win over theMiami Heat.[86] He recorded his 54th double-double of the season in the regular season finale on April 15 against theAtlanta Hawks to finish as the league-leader in double-doubles in 2014–15.[87]
On December 5, 2015, Gasol became the 116th player to reach 1,000 regular-season games. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds against theCharlotte Hornets for his ninth double-double of the season.[88] On January 25, 2016, he recorded his first career first quarter double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.[89] He finished the game with 19 points and 17 rebounds, as the Bulls were defeated by theMiami Heat 89–84.[90] On February 9, Gasol was named as his Chicago Bulls teammateJimmy Butler's replacement on the 2016 Eastern Conference All-Star squad.[91] On February 27, he recorded his eighth career triple-double and first as a Bull with 22 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists in a 103–95 loss to thePortland Trail Blazers.[92] At 35 years old, he became the oldest player to record a triple-double sinceKobe Bryant did so at 36 years old in 2014.[93] On March 7, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 12 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists in a 100–90 win over theMilwaukee Bucks, becoming just the fourth player 35 years or older with multiple triple-doubles in a season, joiningJason Kidd, Kobe Bryant andPaul Pierce.[94] On April 2, in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, he became the 38th NBA player to reach 10,000 career rebounds. He also became the 36th with 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.[95]
On July 14, 2016, Gasol signed a two-year, $30 million contract that had a player option in the second year with theSan Antonio Spurs.[96] On November 11, 2016, he had season highs with 21 points and six assists in a 96–86 win over theDetroit Pistons.[97] On January 19, 2017, he was ruled out indefinitely after breaking his left ring finger during pregame warmups earlier that night.[98] He underwent surgery the following day to repair a fracture of his left fourth metacarpal.[99] On February 24, 2017, in a 105–97 win over theLos Angeles Clippers, Gasol had 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in his return from a 15-game absence because of the finger injury.[100] On April 12, 2017, Gasol scored 13 points to reach 20,000 career points in a 101–97 regular-season finale loss against theUtah Jazz,[101] becoming the second European player to reach the mark afterDirk Nowitzki.[102]
On July 24, 2017, Gasol re-signed with the Spurs on a three-year, $48 million contract.[103] On December 20, 2017, he had 20 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 93–91 win over thePortland Trail Blazers.[104] On December 23, 2017, he recorded his 10th career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high 10 assists in a 108–99 win over theSacramento Kings.[105][106] On December 26, 2017, in a 109–97 win over theBrooklyn Nets, Gasol collected his 10,817th rebound, moving him pastJack Sikma for 30th in league history.[107] On January 26, 2018, in a 97–78 loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers, Gasol became the 34th player in NBA history to play 40,000 career minutes.[108] On March 25, 2018, he had 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 106–103 loss to theMilwaukee Bucks.[109]
After appearing in the first nine games of the 2018–19 season,[110] Gasol missed the next 26 games with a stress fracture in his right foot.[111] On March 1, 2019, he was released by the Spurs in a buyout agreement.[112]
On March 3, 2019, Gasol signed with theMilwaukee Bucks.[113] He played in three games for the Bucks.[114] On March 23, it was reported that the Bucks expected Gasol to miss the next month due to a left ankle injury.[115] Gasol's injury ended his season.[116] He was unable to play in the playoffs and had surgery on his injured foot on May 9, 2019.[114]
On July 25, 2019, Gasol signed with thePortland Trail Blazers.[117] On November 20, he was waived by the Trail Blazers without having played in a game for the team.[118]
On February 23, 2021, Gasol returned to Spain to play inLiga ACB clubFC Barcelona.[119] He won the2020–21 ACB championship with Barcelona and helped the team reach thefinal of the2020–21 EuroLeague, where they lost toAnadolu Efes.
On October 5, 2021, Gasol announced his retirement from professional basketball.[120]
Gasol's first competition with the seniorSpain national basketball team was the2001 EuroBasket tournament, after having previously won the1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship and1999 FIBA Under-19 World Championship with the Spanish junior teams. Being considered, against his own will, the leader of the team, Gasol ended up with the bronze medal in the competition.[121][122] Gasol was named theSpanish Sportsman of the Year, in 2001. After that, Gasol had a lot more success with the Spanish team, winning the2006 FIBA World Championship and the2009 and2011 EuroBasket tournaments, being chosen as theMost Valuable Player in the first two;[123][124] he also won silver medals at the2003 and2007 EuroBasket, and the2008 and2012 Olympic Games.[125]
Gasol was also the highest-scoring player of the2004 Summer Olympics,[126] and Spain'sflag bearer at the opening ceremony of the2012 Summer Olympics, replacing the injuredRafael Nadal.[127] In 2014, Gasol was named tothe All-tournament team of the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[128] In the2015 EuroBasket, Gasol was namedthe MVP of the competition, after some amazing performances, averaging 25.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game (he wasthe competition leader for points per game, and 4th in rebounds per game). During the knockout matches of the competition, Gasol inspired the Spanish side which was missing many of its stars likeRicky Rubio,Juan Carlos Navarro,Álex Abrines, and his brotherMarc Gasol. Gasol scored 40 points in the semifinal againstFrance, which was half of his team's points.[129] The 35-year-old player was also named the competition's leader for blocked shots per game (2.3).[130]
On September 7, 2017, in a game againstHungary, Gasol becameFIBA EuroBasket's all-timeleading scorer, passingTony Parker with 1,033 points.[131] He ended up at 1,183 total points scored at the EuroBasket. He was named to theFIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team in 2020.[132]
Listed at 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m),[b] Gasol was athletic for his size, allowing him to play both the power forward and center positions, much like fellow European playersToni Kukoč andDirk Nowitzki. He was a refined scorer in the post and midrange; his overall game was near-ambidextrous, making it difficult for opposing teams to defend. Gasol used a variety of midrange jumpers, hook shots, up-and-under moves, and shot fakes to score very efficiently. In addition, his foot speed relative to his size allowed him to run the fast break and finish effectively. He was also a skilled passer for a big man,[75] earning 3.2 assists per game over his career. Defensively, he is an above-average shot blocker with a career average of 1.7 blocks per game. Kobe Bryant said of Gasol, "You'd be hard-pressed to find a big [man] with his skill set in the history of the game."[75]
Gasol recorded over 550 double-doubles in his NBA career.[133] On April 2, 2016, he became the 36th player in NBA history to reach the 10,000-point/10,000-rebound mark.[95] While Gasol became the 43rd player in NBA history to reach to the 20,000-point milestone, he is just the fourth with that many points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks.[134]
Gasol remains strongly interested in medicine. He regularly visitsChildren's Hospital of Los Angeles, a standard stop for athletes making charitable visits in the L.A. area, but does not limit his business to visiting young patients. On one visit, he asked a group of doctors well-informed questions about their treatment of children withscoliosis. In April 2010, Gasol was scheduled to sit in on a spinal surgery, wearing surgical scrubs, with Dr. David Skaggs, the hospital's chief of orthopedic surgery. Skaggs has said, "We talk to him now almost like he is a surgical colleague."[135] Gasol canceled his original plans to observe a surgery when he came down with a low-grade fever the day before the operation, not wishing to risk infecting anyone at the hospital. He was able to reschedule his observation for June 2010, witnessing Skaggs lead a team operating on a 13-year-old girl from Colorado with scoliosis.[136]
Gasol has a broad range of intellectual and cultural interests. He has taught himself Italian and French[135] to go along with his childhood languages ofCatalan and Spanish plus English. While with the Lakers, he andKobe Bryant spoke to one another during games in Spanish to keep opponents from knowing their plans.[14] Gasol also regularly reads historical novels, plays French classical music on his keyboard, and attends concerts and operas; he is a friend of Spanish tenorPlácido Domingo, and often visits him backstage after performances.[135]
Gasol married Catherine McDonnell in July 2019. He posted a photo of his wedding on his Instagram account.[137] The couple's daughter Elisabet Gianna Gasol was born on September 13, 2020. Elisabet's middle name is a tribute to Bryant's late daughter and Bryant's widow Vanessa is her godmother.[138] In December 2022, the couple announced the arrival of a son, Max.[139]
His younger brotherMarc, who is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and weighs 255 pounds (116 kg), also played for theLos Angeles Lakers.[140] Marc was drafted by theLos Angeles Lakers, 48th overall, in the2007 NBA draft and his rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, as part of the deal that sent Gasol to the Lakers.[37] Their youngest brother, Adrià, played for Lausanne's basketball team; his coach at Lausanne said, "He's built like Pau, with a mean streak like Marc", although he was not at the time considered a major basketball prospect.[14] After returning to Spain for his final two years of high school basketball, Adrià enrolled atUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in August 2012 and joined theUCLA basketball team as awalk on.[141][142]
His parents moved to the Memphis suburb ofGermantown, Tennessee, after he signed with the Grizzlies, and enrolled his younger brothersMarc and Adrià inLausanne Collegiate School in Memphis.[143] They planned to move to theLos Angeles area when Pau was traded to the Lakers, with Agustí accepting a job with a health-care company in that area; although the Grizzlies obtained the rights to Marc's services as part of the trade, he was expected to re-sign with hisSpanish teamAkasvayu Girona. However, when Marc decided to sign with the Grizzlies, their parents chose to stay in Germantown. Agustí now works from home for the same company, while Marisa now volunteers atSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[14]
In 2003, he was named aUNICEF ambassador,[144] and since then has repeatedly taken part in different campaigns, traveling on several occasions África to participate in its projects there. In recognition of his commitment to solidarity endeavors, he received theCorazón de Oro (Gold Heart) in 2004, awarded by the Spanish Heart Foundation,[145] and the 2010 Charitable Athlete Prize, given by the Fundación SOS. Gasol has worked in support of infant survival and for the rights of children in other African countries as well as in campaigns against malnutrition in the Horn of Africa. In addition, since his arrival in Memphis, he has worked with the Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, which he visits every time he in the city where he lived at the start of his career.
In 2009, Gasol, along with several other NBA players, joined the "Hoops for St. Jude" charity program benefitting theSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[146]
In 2010, UNICEF's Pau Project commenced in Ethiopia, to aid in the fight against infant malnutrition, which each year claims the lives of more than 2 million children, and for the right to an education. In December 2010 he took part, along with other NBA stars, in We Are Bigger Than Aids, a campaign against the HIV virus.[147]
In 2012, the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) stated that Pau "personifies everything that is good about NBA players and their charity projects, not only in their own communities but all over the world, working to help children achieve their goals and have the opportunities that they wouldn't be able to get otherwise." Thus, in April 2015, they gave him theirMagic Johnson Award.[148]
In September 2018, after the publication of his bookBajo el aro (Under the Hoop) Gasol said that in spite of not being a doctor, he tries to use his public profile to help others.[149] That same month, he joined the campaign of Spain's Fundación Atresmedia to bring families into schools.[150]
In July 2019, he was named Global Champion for Nutrition and Zero Childhood Obesity by UNICEF Global.[151][152]
In 2013, along with his brotherMarc, he established theGasol Foundation [ca], to help to promote community health and healthy living habits, especially by preventing and fighting childhood obesity. In November 2015, after having been named Global Impact Player[153] by theNational Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which represents the NBA players, he created a t-shirt to help the Foundation's work.[154] In March 2017 they decided to move the Foundation's headquarters fromBarcelona toSant Boi, where he was born.[155][156] Along with his brotherMarc Gasol, he has received the Special Recognition Prize from Estrategia NAOS for the work of the Gasol Foundation for fighting childhood obesity.[157]
In September 2019, the Gasol Foundation presented the Estudio Pasos, a pioneering work in studying obesity levels in kids between 8 and 18 years of age, and which also threw light on the levels of physical inactivity among children and adolescents. At the press conference to present the study, Pau Gasol called for concrete action from governments, families and the food industry to end this problem.[158][159]
In May 2018, he published an open letter inThe Players Tribune defending the role of women as coaches[160] and specifically in favor of the candidacy ofBecky Hammon as an NBA coach. He noted that in its 72 years of history there has never been a woman coach and advocated adopting new social norms to meet this changing period of equality and diversity.[161][162]
From 2017 to 2020,[163] he was vice president of the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association, of theNBA).[164] He was the first player to participate in the executive committee of this association without previously having been in theNCAA.[165]
Since June 2019, Pau Gasol has been a member of the Advisory Council of Spanish Sport (CADE), which is part of the Association of Spanish Sport (ADESP). In addition, he is Strategic Advisor and Global Ambassador forBarça in the United States. From this position he defends the values of sports and the proposals toward healthy living advocated by his Foundation.[166]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Memphis | 82 | 79 | 36.7 | .518 | .200 | .709 | 8.9 | 2.7 | .5 | 2.1 | 17.6 |
| 2002–03 | Memphis | 82 | 82* | 36.0 | .510 | .100 | .736 | 8.8 | 2.8 | .4 | 1.8 | 19.0 |
| 2003–04 | Memphis | 78 | 78 | 31.5 | .482 | .267 | .714 | 7.7 | 2.5 | .6 | 1.7 | 17.7 |
| 2004–05 | Memphis | 56 | 53 | 32.0 | .514 | .167 | .768 | 7.3 | 2.4 | .7 | 1.7 | 17.8 |
| 2005–06 | Memphis | 80 | 80 | 39.2 | .503 | .250 | .689 | 8.9 | 4.6 | .6 | 1.9 | 20.4 |
| 2006–07 | Memphis | 59 | 59 | 36.2 | .538 | .273 | .748 | 9.8 | 3.4 | .5 | 2.1 | 20.8 |
| 2007–08 | Memphis | 39 | 39 | 36.7 | .501 | .267 | .819 | 8.8 | 3.0 | .4 | 1.4 | 18.9 |
| 2007–08 | L.A. Lakers | 27 | 27 | 34.0 | .589 | .000 | .789 | 7.8 | 3.5 | .5 | 1.6 | 18.8 |
| 2008–09† | L.A. Lakers | 81 | 81 | 37.0 | .567 | .500 | .781 | 9.6 | 3.5 | .6 | 1.0 | 18.9 |
| 2009–10† | L.A. Lakers | 65 | 65 | 37.0 | .536 | .000 | .790 | 11.3 | 3.4 | .6 | 1.7 | 18.3 |
| 2010–11 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 82* | 37.0 | .529 | .333 | .823 | 10.2 | 3.3 | .6 | 1.6 | 18.8 |
| 2011–12 | L.A. Lakers | 65 | 65 | 37.4 | .501 | .259 | .782 | 10.4 | 3.6 | .6 | 1.4 | 17.4 |
| 2012–13 | L.A. Lakers | 49 | 42 | 33.8 | .466 | .286 | .702 | 8.6 | 4.1 | .5 | 1.2 | 13.7 |
| 2013–14 | L.A. Lakers | 60 | 60 | 31.4 | .480 | .286 | .736 | 9.7 | 3.4 | .5 | 1.5 | 17.4 |
| 2014–15 | Chicago | 78 | 78 | 34.4 | .494 | .462 | .803 | 11.8 | 2.7 | .3 | 1.9 | 18.5 |
| 2015–16 | Chicago | 72 | 72 | 31.8 | .469 | .348 | .792 | 11.0 | 4.1 | .6 | 2.0 | 16.5 |
| 2016–17 | San Antonio | 64 | 39 | 25.4 | .502 | .538 | .707 | 7.8 | 2.3 | .4 | 1.1 | 12.4 |
| 2017–18 | San Antonio | 77 | 63 | 23.5 | .458 | .358 | .756 | 8.0 | 3.1 | .3 | 1.0 | 10.1 |
| 2018–19 | San Antonio | 27 | 6 | 12.2 | .466 | .500 | .711 | 4.7 | 1.9 | .2 | .5 | 4.2 |
| 2018–19 | Milwaukee | 3 | 0 | 10.0 | .167 | .333 | .500 | 3.3 | .7 | .0 | .3 | 1.3 |
| Career | 1,226 | 1,150 | 33.4 | .507 | .368 | .753 | 9.2 | 3.2 | .5 | 1.6 | 17.0 | |
| All-Star | 6 | 1 | 19.3 | .565 | .000 | .846 | 8.7 | 1.2 | .7 | .7 | 10.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Memphis | 4 | 4 | 33.5 | .571 | – | .900 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 18.5 |
| 2005 | Memphis | 4 | 4 | 33.3 | .488 | 1.000 | .500 | 7.5 | 2.5 | .5 | 1.8 | 21.3 |
| 2006 | Memphis | 4 | 4 | 39.5 | .433 | .000 | .767 | 6.8 | 3.0 | .5 | 1.2 | 20.3 |
| 2008 | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 21 | 39.8 | .530 | – | .692 | 9.3 | 4.0 | .5 | 1.9 | 16.9 |
| 2009† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 23 | 40.5 | .580 | – | .714 | 10.8 | 2.5 | .8 | 2.0 | 18.3 |
| 2010† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 23 | 39.7 | .539 | .000 | .759 | 11.1 | 3.5 | .4 | 2.1 | 19.6 |
| 2011 | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 10 | 35.8 | .420 | .500 | .800 | 7.8 | 3.8 | .4 | 1.7 | 13.1 |
| 2012 | L.A. Lakers | 12 | 12 | 37.0 | .434 | .400 | .828 | 9.5 | 3.7 | .5 | 2.1 | 12.5 |
| 2013 | L.A. Lakers | 4 | 4 | 36.5 | .481 | – | .545 | 11.5 | 6.3 | .5 | .8 | 14.0 |
| 2015 | Chicago | 10 | 10 | 31.7 | .487 | .000 | .762 | 9.4 | 3.1 | .5 | 2.1 | 14.4 |
| 2017 | San Antonio | 16 | 7 | 22.8 | .439 | .333 | .708 | 7.1 | 1.9 | .4 | .9 | 7.7 |
| 2018 | San Antonio | 5 | 0 | 18.0 | .500 | .333 | .900 | 4.8 | 2.8 | .0 | .2 | 6.0 |
| Career | 136 | 122 | 35.5 | .508 | .297 | .741 | 9.2 | 3.2 | .5 | 1.7 | 15.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIBA EuroLeague | |||||||||||||
| 1999–00[167] | Barcelona | 21 | 8 | 13.4 | .545 | .333 | .609 | 2.1 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| EuroLeague | |||||||||||||
| 2000–01[168] | Barcelona | 6 | 5 | 25.7 | .667 | .500 | .738 | 6.0 | .7 | .8 | .7 | 18.5 | 22.5 |
| 2020–21[169] | Barcelona | 7 | 2 | 9.5 | .429 | .500 | .714 | 2.4 | .4 | .4 | .9 | 4.6 | 6.0 |
| Career | 34 | 15 | 14.8 | .573 | .414 | .694 | 2.9 | .4 | .3 | .4 | 6.9 | 7.4 | |
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