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Lakers Find Magic In Center Gasol
"A lot of times, it is that one move, that one piece that puts you over the top and for us, it seems that way," Kobe Bryant, left, said of Pau Gasol.
(By Andrew D. Bernstein -- Nbae/getty Images)
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"This has been great and amazing for me," Gasol said. "I'm truly happy to have this opportunity. I didn't enjoy the part of being hurt and not being able to play. But now I'm back on board."
Bryant said he never had any concerns about Gasol adjusting from a small market like Memphis to the pressure that comes with being a Laker. "You have to understand: This guy, in Spain, is the greatest Spanish player to ever play," he said. "He's used to being in the fishbowl. This is nothing new to him."
"He's the perfect fit for what we do, we didn't have to adjust anything. We really didn't give any key components to our ballclub to get him," Bryant said. "A lot of times, it is that one move, that one piece that puts you over the top and for us, it seems that way. I felt before that, with Andrew I felt like we had what it took to win a championship. Bringing Pau was like the coup de grâce."
Gasol won the rookie of the year award in 2002 and made an all-star appearance in 2006 with the Grizzlies. But most of his time in Memphis was filled with disappointment. It took him three years to make the playoffs, and the Grizzlies sank back to the bottom after he broke his foot while leading Spain to the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Gasol asked for a trade last season, but then-team president Jerry West (who spent almost two decades in a similar capacity with the Lakers) never found a deal he was willing to make.
The Grizzlies again were set for the lottery this season and needed to part with their best and most expensive asset to start all over. "Our present situation wasn't going anywhere," Grizzlies first-year general manager Chris Wallace said in a telephone interview. "It's obviously had a positive impact on the Lakers, but that's not my concern."
Bynum has yet to return from his knee injury, but the Lakers are hoping that Gasol can have the same impact Rasheed Wallace had on Detroit. He joined the Pistons in a midseason trade and helped them finish the regular season 24-6 and win the 2004 NBA Finals. In both instances, neither team had to sacrifice a core player to get an all-star talent. "We'll see if that happens or not," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "But it was a similar situation, a guy who fit a need."
Now Gasol wants the Lakers to help him put his postseason disappointments behind him.
"My playoff experience has been tough, to say it lightly," Gasol said prior to the playoffs. "I want to be successful. I want to get rid of that monkey on my back and really play well, move forward and win series."
