How Pau Gasol Started Wearing Lakers Jerseys

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Pau Gasol, who turned 28 this July, was born in Barcelona Spain. Paul is a 7'0 forward/center for the Los Angeles Lakers. As a youngster growing up in Spain, Pau played basketball with his two brothers, Marc and Adria. Marc is also a professional basketball player. In High School Pau played with his team called "Llor", and after that signed with C. B. Cornella. By the age of 16, Pau was playing for the Barcelona Junior National Team. He played in Europe from 1997-199, where his final season he averaged over 11 points and 5 rebounds playing in just 24 minutes a game. Los Angeles Lakers Jersey

Pau entered the 2001 NBA draft, and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, who immediately traded his rights to Memphis, for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. As a Grizzles star for seven seasons, he still today holds the franchise record for games played, minutes played, field goals made- and attempted, free throws made and attempted. He also leads in offensive-defensive- and total rebounds, blocked shots, turnovers and points. Pretty much every stat in the Grizzles record book belongs to Gasol.

In Memphis Gasol won the Rookie of the Year award, scoring 17. 6 points a game and grabbing almost 8 rebounds a game, playing in all 82 games that year. His second season, Gasol increased his scoring to 19 points a game, once again playing all 82 games. In his third season Gasol missed his first game with a foot injury. That injury broke his 240 consecutive games played streak. In January 2005 Gasol reached the 5, 000 and 500 blocks to become the 10th fastest player to reach that feat. Twice Gasol's Memphis teams made the playoffs, losing in the first round both times, once to San Antonio, and the other time to Phoenix.

In his fifth season in Memphis Gasol became the Grizzles all time leading rebounder, and in that season the Grizzles made the playoffs once again, but losing, this time to the Dallas Mavericks. Gasol's teams still had never won a playoff game. In 2006, Gasol was named to his first All Star game. He was a reserve center for the Western Conference in Houston. In 2006-2007 Gasol missed 19 games with a broken foot, which he suffered in the FIBA World Championships that his team (Spain) won, and he was named the MVP. During that season Gasol became the all time leading scorer in Grizzles history.