Lakers News: Pau Gasol Modeled His Game After This Bulls Hall Of Famer

He's joining his idol in basketball immortality!

Ahead of his impending induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame, longtime Los Angeles Lakers legend Pau Gasol mentioned a surprising name that inspired him to pursue an NBA career. 

When asked about his inspirations for his game and play style by Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, the Spanish big man chose to emulate a background character of the Bulls' iconic dynasty of the 1990s. 

“Growing up, one of my idols was this European player who accepted the honor to be one of my presenters, Toni Kukoc.  He was a player that played outside. Even though he was a lefty. … He shot threes. He was very talented and he went to play for the Bulls in the ‘90s, which was obviously the team of the decade... Toni was the European guy, the skinny guy. I was playing small forward until I was 19. I was skinny too. I knew how to dribble the ball, pass, make plays, make some shots. That was it. So, he was a guy that I looked up to growing up."

via Broderick Turner, LA Times

Despite the other stars on the Bulls in Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan headlining the team of the 90s, Gasol's idol was a role player for that championship core in Croatian star Toni Kukoc. 

The plan for Gasol worked as many questioned the big man's ability to translate his game to the NBA from his possible medical career that was put on hold after the Spaniard starred in Europe. 

Two championships, countless All-Star nods and international glory secured in his later career, it's safe to say Kukoc's example gave Laker fans and NBA fans one of the very best to ever play the game. 

Set to forever be enshrined among the game's greats, Gasol's path might have unorthodox, but one that fans will remember forever regardless. 

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