Born into a family with longstanding basketball history, Pau Gasol has been melting our hearts in the right places ever since he began making appearances on the court. The athlete launched his basketball career in the year 1998 and he has played for a couple of teams like – FC Barcelona (1998–2001), Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2008), Los Angeles Lakers ( 2008–2014), Chicago Bulls (2014–2016) and he is currently representing San Antonio Spurs in the basketball league since 2016.
Over the course of his successful career, Pau has surpassed 11,000 rebounds and 20,000 points, rising to become the 34th ‘NBA’ star to have played over 40,000 career minutes. Did we mention that the basketball player boasts a grand career timeline? Yes, the baller is well-loved for having excelled in the game over the years despite the challenges that come with it. To his credit, he is a two-time NBA champion (he earned the two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers), a six-time NBA All-Star, the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002, and a four-time All-NBA selection (2x on the second team and 2x on the third team). On the international scene, Gasol holds a FIBA World Cup title, an Olympic bronze medal, 3 EuroBasket titles with the Spanish basketball team, and two Olympic silver medals.
Pau Gasol’s Bio
The San Antonio Spurs center/power forward was born to athlete parents – Agusti Gasol (father) and Marisa Sáez (mother) on the 6th of July 1980, in Barcelona, Spain. Growing up, he was not just only interested in basketball but also in football and rugby. He would later switch his interest to basketball after growing tall. Initially, he was never interested in pursuing a career in basketball as he wanted to be a doctor. Upon completing high school, Pau enrolled to study medicine, however, he dropped along the way due to his involvements in basketball.
Gasol began representing Barcelona’s junior team in fixtures at the age of sixteen. He also won both the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship as well as the 1998 Albert Schweitzer Tournament. Following his brilliant performances at the competitions, Pau moved to Barcelona’s senior basketball team. In the Spanish ACB League’s 1998–1999 season, the power forward played 25 total minutes and went on to average 13.7 minutes per game in the ACB the following year.
Pau entered the NBA draft and was subsequently selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the third overall in the first round in the 2001 NBA draft. The Hawks is said to have traded Gasol’s draft rights to the Memphis, Tennessee-based basketball team, Memphis Grizzlies, in exchange for American professional basketball player Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
His Parents and Brother
Pau was born to a mother who is a doctor and a father who works as a hospital administrator. Both parents played professional basketball in Spain. His father measures 6 feet 3 inches while his mother stands at a height of 6 feet 1 inch. The basketball player, who was named Pau Gasol Sáez after his birth, is the first son of his parents; he has two younger brothers who are prominent basketball players as well.
Gasol’s immediate younger brother is called Marc Gasol. He launched his basketball career in the year 2003 and currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies after he was drafted by the team as the 48th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Together with the Grizzlies, Marc effortlessly won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2013. The 7 feet 1-inch center has been featuring regularly for the Spanish national basketball team since 2006. The younger Gasol is equally a three-time NBA All-Star. and a two-time All-NBA Team member. Born on January 29, 1985, Barcelona, Spain, Marc Gasol has been married to Cristina Blesa since 2013 and his net worth is estimated to be $19.69 million as of 2015.
Agusti and Marisa’s last child is called Adria Gasol. He was born in Barcelona, Spain on October 5, 1993. Adria currently plays for UCLA Bruins men’s basketball and weighs 99.9kg. Like Pau, he defends his team on the center position, which befits his height of 2.07 meters.
Wife or Girlfriend – Who is She?
As to his marital status, Pau Gasol has not been married yet but he has been linked to Silvia Lopez Castro and recently Catherine McDonnell. Castro and Pau have been together for many years, although some unreliable blogs have it that the two have since separated and that the basketball player has been flocking around the town with Catherine McDonnell of recent. However, neither Pau nor Catherine is yet to confirm or deny the report.
Height, Weight, and Body Stats
There is no doubt that the Spanish-born center/power forward has all it takes to fit into the game of basketball – he has a good height as well as general physical fitness to match. As attested by his NBA draft records, Pau Gasol has a height of 7ft 0 inch (2.13m) and weighs 250 lb (113 kg), which obviously complements his giant stature.
