November 19
L.A. Daily News
columnist Ramona Shelburn
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It happens to all of us at some point, usually on a schoolyard, and usually during recess or lunch. A boy or a girl, whichever applies to you, starts picking on you for seemingly no reason. Only there is a reason, but it doesn't become evident to you until you're in your mid-20 s. Jest, infinite or otherwise, generally means exactly the opposite as what it seems, indicating affection rather than derision. In team sports, it is something of a rite of passage. The butt of everyone's jokes often tends to be the most popular guy on the team. All of which means congratulations are in order for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, and not simply because he is set to make his season debut tonight against ..."
May 18
L.A. Daily News
columnist Ramona Shelburne
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It's a strange feeling. To have watched someone play for more than a year and just now feel like you know them. Admit it. Before he rocked the Houston Rockets for 21points and 18 rebounds in Sunday's 89-70 Game 7 victory, you hardly knew Pau Gasol. Other than being the obscenely talented center the Lakers acquired in the middle of last season from Memphis, your impression of the splendid Spaniard was pretty limited. Great player, nice guy, scraggly beard. Sunday, with his howling, scowling effort in the Lakers' most important game of the season, Gasol finally put his stamp on this team. He growled. Fixed his jowl hard and fierce, and screamed into the purple-and-gold-colored afternoon. "He ..."
March 17
L.A. Daily News
columnist Ramona Shelburne
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He's not the kind of guy who will complain. Not even in Memphis when the Grizzlies seemed intent on squandering some of his most productive years, would Pau Gasol openly criticize a teammate or his organization. He's a good teammate, selfless and professional, all those great things fans say they want from their superstars but then vent about later because there's nothing juicy to talk about on sports radio. The furthest the serenely talented Spaniard will ever come to complaining is an acknowledgement of polite frustration after game like Sunday, where he went 10 for 10 from the field in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks but got only three shots in the second half as the ..."
March 3
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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They make up Spain's first family of basketball, and are the only brothers to be traded for each other in the NBA. Marc and Pau Gasol's hoops heritage will always be impressive for those reasons, and another not-so-heralded one: The 7-footers this season have joined the list of basketball brothers with an above-average impact on NBA teams in the same season. The league has seen nearly 50 brother acts through the years, including three this season. What separates the Gasols from Jason and Jarron Collins, and rookies Brook and Robin Lopez among current brother acts is that they both start and are integral parts of their teams. Tonight will mark the third meeting this season between Marc, the ..."
December 22
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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He'll look virtually the same when the reunion becomes official. His hair is still shaggy, falling over his ears to meet an untrimmed beard on the slender 7-foot Spaniard. Pau Gasol will appear exactly as Memphis remembers. The only exception is a Los Angeles Lakers uniform and a swagger that apparently comes along with it. "I've gotten back that motivation that maybe I lost the last year or two in Memphis," Gasol said, having become a major factor in turning around a storied NBA franchise. Interestingly enough, Gasol played in Miami a few nights ago and never looked at a locker room monitor before the game. It showed Memphis beating Miami in a game a week old. The Lakers went on to lose ..."
December 21
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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He still holds several Grizzlies franchise records. And there's something else you should know about Pau Gasol since the last time he's set foot in Memphis. Monday has been on the 7-foot Spaniard's mind for months. "To be honest, that's the first thing I was looking for when the schedule came out," Gasol said of his return visit Monday with the Los Angeles Lakers. "I wanted to know when I was going to have that first game back in Memphis. It's special, no matter what the situation is." Situation? Gasol's happy. Memphis has cap space. Gasol's more appreciated in LakerLand. Memphis is learning to love its team again. Gasol's playing for championships. Memphis has first-round draft picks. ..."
June 16
Riverside Press Enterprise
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A few minutes into the Lakers' first true must-win game of the season, Pau Gasol found a way to tap into the toughness and resiliency his critics say he lacks. Ripping down an offensive rebound in traffic under the basket, Gasol absorbed heavy contact and rose up for a putback, finishing the play with a tarzan-like bellow. The play proved to be a good omen for the Lakers as the 7-foot Spaniard had his most productive game of the series, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to help his team come back from a crushing Game 4 loss with a gritty 103-98 victory. "It was required for us to give our very best effort, intensity and aggressiveness tonight to be able to bounce back ..."