I was courtside for the last time Pau Gasol suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the evening the Lakers debuted their black “Hollywood Nights” uniforms. What a way for Gasol to go out, a home blow-out loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the laughing stock of the NBA. Actually, the Bucks are so bad they might be a laughingstock in the ACC. And on New Year’s Eve no less.
Today Pau Gasol was formally introduced to the media as a member of the Chicago Bulls. And his press conference was, exactly how most of these types of press conferences usually go: platitudes, cliches, making nice….and other yawn inducing discussion. It’s mostly the fault of the PR handlers and agents, although media don’t help the situation because they often ask pointless, boring softball questions.
However, one reporter asked Pau Gasol an interesting question and it led to a very interesting narrative.
Pau Gasol is very interested in medical science. And is perhaps interested in pursuing a career in medical science after his playing days after over. Not as a doctor of course, it’s too late in life to back to school to get all that study and done and acquire those degrees. But Pau is a renaissance man with many interests.
“I will make sure to make contact with the hospitals here, to see which ones I can work with and help out. That’s one of my biggest passions,” Gasol said.
“I will always work with hospitals, patients, kids, because I feel it makes a huge difference, and it’s extremely rewarding to me. I do have a knowledge of my body, and I try to help my teammates with injuries that I’ve had, to make them feel better, get healthier,” he said.
He doesn’t see himself as becoming a trainer or assistant trainer though.
His final season in Los Angeles wasn’t the way that Pau Gasol should have gone out.
The Lakers were well under .500, their leading scorer was Nick Young. Hardly any Kobe Bryant, or Steve Nash. Tickets close to the Jack Nicholson seats at the Staples Center could be had for a couple hundred bucks these days. Not a few thousand. It’s not exactly showtime in Lakerland anymore.
So maybe Pau Gasol is better served in Chicago. The Bulls still won’t be a championship contender with a trio of Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, but they’ll be light years ahead of the Lakers.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! The Postgame. He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, the History Channel and more. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)