2023-08-13 08:46:09
Pau Gasol has received the greatest recognition that a basketball player could receive. The former player of the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs or Chicago Bulls has entered the NBA Hall of Fame along with other legends such as Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich.
In an emotional speech full of thanks, Gasol has embraced this “enormous honor” and has given thanks for the “support, guidance and inspiration” that many have given him throughout his career. The first he has thanked has been Toni Kukoc, his presenter during the gala.
“If they told me that one day I would not only meet Kukoc but also introduce myself to the Hall of Fame, I would not believe it. And yet, here we are,” he joked. However, no one has supported him like his family, whom he has thanked for all his efforts to help him reach this peak.
With Marc Gasol he has shared a funny joke when remembering that they are “the only brothers who have been transferred in the history” of the league, talking about that transfer that ended with him in the Lakers and with the rights of his brother in Memphis.
He has also thanked European legends such as Dražen Petrovic or Arvydas Sabonis, as well as Fernando Martín. However, one of the most emotional moments was when he remembered his friend Kobe Bryant, who passed away in 2020. “In the Lakers I was able to meet the person who raised my game like no one else (…), who It taught me how hard you have to work and the mentality you have to have to be the best.”
“I would like nothing more than you were here today. I miss you and I love you,” he confessed, thanking Kobe’s widow, Vanessa, for being at the ceremony.
#Pau #Gasol #puts #icing #cake #historic #career #enters #NBA #Hall #Fame