Lakers News: Pau Gasol Recalls His Fondest Lakers Memory
Future first ballot Hall of Fame power forward/center Pau Gasol played a huge role as the second-best player for your Los Angeles Lakers' three straight NBA Finals appearances from 2008-2010, behind only All-NBA shooting guard Kobe Bryant. In that window, L.A. claimed two straight championships in 2009 and 2010. Gasol's favorite Los Angeles memory stems from that second (and last) title run.
The 7' big man spoke remotely with CBS L.A. about his tenure with the Lakers, which ran from the 2008 trade deadline through the end of the 2013-14 season. In that stretch, Gasol was named to three of his six All-Star teams and three of his four All-NBA teams.
Gasol cites the team's 83-79 Game 7 victory in the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, at the then-Staples Center, as his favorite Lakers achievement.
"Winning that Game 7 at home, [in] 2010 against the Celtics, I mean that's just as good as it gets, as far as meaning, as far as emotions, as far as impact [go]... It's one of those things, one of those games, one of those times that people just remember, vividly. [People tell him things like], 'Yeah I remember what I was doing that day, I remember where I was watching that game.'"
Gasol and Bryant proved to be the Lakers' most crucial figures in that contest. Though neither was shooting efficiently, they still willed themselves to the free throw line and battled for boards against a formidable Boston frontcourt featuring Kevin Garnett, a past-his-prime Rasheed Wallace, and Glen Davis (starting center Kendrick Perkins was hurt for this game).
In his 42:12 minutes of action that night, Gasol scored 19 points (on 6-of-24 shooting from the floor and 7-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line), pulled down 18 rebounds, dished out four assists and stuffed two blocks.
All told, Gasol played for 18 NBA seasons and four EuroLeague seasons, but his star shone brightest during that special run in the purple and gold. Los Angeles is set to retire his No. 16 jersey on March 7th, 2023.
