Pau Gasol Spanish professional basketball player Date of Birth: 06.07.1980 Country: Spain

Biography of Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol i Sáez was born on July 6, 1980, in Spain. He is a Spanish professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association. His brother, Marc Gasol, is also a professional basketball player.

Gasol began playing basketball in school and at the age of sixteen, he was already playing for the junior team of Barcelona. In 1998, he won the Albert Schweitzer Tournament and the FIBA Championship for under-eighteen players. After joining the senior team of Barcelona, Gasol played only eleven minutes in the 1998-1999 season. However, his playing time increased to an average of fifteen minutes per game in the following year. In his last European season, he played an average of twenty-four minutes per game and achieved 11.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.

In 2001, Gasol joined the Atlanta Hawks but was soon traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. In his first season with the Grizzlies, Gasol was named Rookie of the Year by the NBA and was selected to the All-Rookie Team. He averaged 17.6 points per game and became the only player on the team to play in all eighty-two games of the season. In his third season, Gasol suffered an injury and missed a game for the first time in his career, ending his streak of two hundred and forty consecutive games played.

Gasol's records with the Grizzlies include the most games played, most minutes played, most field goals made and attempted, most free throws made and attempted, and most defensive and offensive rebounds. After seven seasons with the Grizzlies, Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, 2008.

In his first game with the Lakers against the New Jersey Nets on February 5, 2008, Gasol scored twenty-four points and had twelve rebounds. However, he suffered an injury in a game against the New Orleans Hornets on March 14, which forced him to miss several games. Gasol returned to the court on April 2, but his playing time was limited due to his ongoing injury. In the 2008-2009 season, Gasol was selected for the All-Star team for the second time in his career.

Throughout his career, Gasol has achieved success both in Europe and in the NBA. He is known for his scoring ability and rebounding skills, and he has made a significant impact on the teams he has played for.