Lakers Find Magic In Center Gasol

Addition of Spaniard Has Turned L.A. Into a Championship Contender

LOS ANGELES -- The moment he heard that the Los Angeles Lakers had acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis, Kobe Bryant sent his new teammate a text message, in Spanish, that read: "Welcome to the team. Happy to have you as part of the family. Let's go get this ring."

It may have been a bit ambitious for Bryant to expect Gasol to help the Lakers win a championship, considering Gasol's postseason résumé includes three playoff sweeps. But the message immediately put the Spaniard on alert that expectations in Los Angeles are much greater than they were in Memphis. It was a challenge that Gasol was willing to accept.

"I'm never afraid of a big stage. That's what I want," Gasol said recently. "I want to fight for the best of the best and prove myself at that level. I'm having a real chance to accomplish one of my main goals and that's to go after a championship."

After helping the Lakers secure the No. 1 seed in the most intense Western Conference playoff race ever, Gasol's immediate goal was simply to win a game in the playoffs. He finally accomplished that goal on Sunday for the first time in 13 tries, scoring 36 points with 16 rebounds and eight assists in the Lakers' 128-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Gasol also stole the top billing from Bryant -- a first in the Lakers' post-Shaquille O'Neal era. For Bryant, who missed the playoffs his first season without O'Neal and lost to Phoenix in the first round the past two seasons, sharing the stage with Gasol is not a problem. "You always have to have a one-two punch," Bryant said recently. "That's how you win championships. You can't do it with one superstar alone."

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Gasol likely wouldn't have become a Laker if third-year center Andrew Bynum hadn't suffered a bone bruise and dislocated his left knee on Jan. 13 in a game against the Grizzlies. At the time of his injury, the 20-year-old Bynum was having a breakout campaign, and the Lakers were 25-11.

With Kwame Brown replacing Bynum at center, the Lakers went 3-5 over the next two weeks.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak -- whom Bryant openly criticized last summer for failing to ship Bynum in exchange for Jason Kidd -- quietly worked out a deal for Gasol in exchange for Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Gasol's brother, Marc, and two first-round draft picks. Asked if he would've made the trade with a healthy Bynum, Kupchak said: "That's a good question. I don't know.

"When Andrew got hurt, we became more aggressive, but we were having discussions before he got hurt," Kupchak said. "We desperately needed a big player. We really could've gotten away from winning, the way we were. We didn't want to lose another season."

The Lakers couldn't face the prospect of possibly missing the playoffs with Bryant able to opt out of his contract in 2009 -- or make more noise to get traded in the offseason. Instead, the 7-foot Gasol arrived in Los Angeles and had an immediate impact, blending seamlessly into the triangle offense with his ability to pass, shoot and run the floor.

The Lakers finished the season 27-9 after the trade and they were 22-5 with Gasol in the lineup. He missed 11 games, nine because of sprained left ankle.