By Antonis Stroggylakis/ astroggylakis@eurohoops.net
“If only this convo could’ve lasted 140 minutes instead of 14,” was my first thought after exiting the Zoom call with Pau Gasol. Don’t get me wrong, 14 minutes can be a solid amount of time for your usual interview.
But listening to Pau Gasol is like tapping into a massive pool of information, stories, and interesting views. So 14 minutes just don’t seem to be enough when you talk with the Spanish giant, international trophies/medals hoarder, World Championship/EuroBasket MVP and two-time NBA champion, picking his brain and indulging in his eloquence about anything basketball.
During a Q&A session with Eurohoops, Gasol talked about the upcoming 2023 World Cup while looking back at the 2006 tournament when he and Spain were crowned world champions. It was done with a blowout win in the Final over a Greek national team that had just triumphed over mighty Team USA in the semifinal.
Spain actually played the Final without its best player who was – as you can easily guess – Pau Gasol. After a superb run (that ultimately earned him MVP), Gasol hurt his foot in the semifinal against reigning Olympic champion Argentina and was ruled out of the championship game. As he reminisces about these events now, he sees that injury as kind of a blessing in disguise. “Unfortunately, I got injured,” he said. “Unfortunately or fortunately. Because at the end of the day, I think that emotionally it could’ve affected our team negatively. But instead, it just gave us a kind of… I don’t know… level of strength, toughness, togetherness, and unity that really propelled us in the Final.”
“One of the games I enjoyed the most watching on the bench without being able to play.”
Gasol also gave his opinion on the usually controversial subject of the use of naturalized players by national teams, addressing the examples of American guards Lorenzo Brown (who was one of Spain’s leading performers in the EuroBasket 2022) and Thomas Walkup (who may play for Greece in the 2023 World Cup). He also shared his thoughts on the 2023 NBA MVP race and why the debate around it was perhaps so unprecedently heated.
– Eurohoops: The 2023 FIBA World Cup, with you as a Global Ambassador, is coming so I want to start with this: As a fan of basketball and lover of the game, what are the individual/team battles you are most eager to see in the World Championship?
– Pau Gasol: As a fan of the game I just want to watch good basketball. In every tournament, I like to see the teams that stand out and separate from the rest. It’s always interesting because now with certain names and certain players, it has become so big. So there are always teams who become favorites, right? But, we’ve seen in some of the last championships that doesn’t translate into victory. I’m just excited to see first if Spain continues to play at such a high level and continues to be the No. 1 team in the world. Which is pretty remarkable and pretty exciting.
And, then again, see which is the team that gets hot get, who’s the team that competes better or plays better. Who give themselves a chance. And honestly, to be able to beat the American team right? Ultimately, they always come in as the main favorites. You always wonder what type of team they’re going to bring, what type of players they’re going to bring. Obviously, they’re all going to be talented players. But will they play collectively at the highest level?
So, that’s kind of always the exciting thing for me. I think having the championship in different parts of Asia and the last part taking place in the Philippines is also an exciting thing for me as a fan and a lover of the game. And now as an ambassador of the World Cup. So yeah, I’m excited to experience it and to see the game continue to grow.
EH: Back in 2006 you went all the way with Spain and won the World Cup. You didn’t participate in the Final vs. Greece due to injury but had already played great in the tournament to put Spain in a position to compete for the gold medal. What are the most intense memories that you carry from winning the gold and doing it against a Greek national team that had just beaten Team USA and maybe were considered favorites at that point?
P.G.: It was very, very special. We played very well throughout the championship. We won most of the games comfortably early on. We played at a high level. Then we ran into Argentina and that was such a top matchup. The Olympic champion at the time, of 2004 in Athens. So it was a very demanding game. Unfortunately, I got injured. Unfortunately or fortunately. Because at the end of the day, I think that emotionally it could’ve affected our team negatively. But instead, it just gave us kind of… I don’t know… a level of strength, toughness, togetherness, and unity that really propelled us in that Final game against Greece. From the beginning to the end, it was an amazing display of basketball on both ends of the floor.
Greece, obviously, they came up from winning in the semifinal. They were allegedly favorites playing at a very-very high level but the way we came out… it was just great. I really enjoyed that. One of the games I enjoyed the most watching on the bench without being able to play. Because of how well we played. I think it was a great show of basketball and winning our first World Cup. Because we won two now, so it’s pretty great.
Again, I’m very proud of what we’ve done and what we’ve contributed as a national team, as a country to the growth of the game.
EH: Last year Spain brought American guard Lorenzo Brown on board for the EuroBasket and the team won the gold. It was considered a controversial decision by many. Now Greece may have American guard Thomas Walkup on the lineup for the upcoming World Cup and there are several other cases of teams with naturalized players. There’s an overall feeling that the meaning or essence of “national team” begins to lose itself with the use of naturalized players that also have no apparent links to the country they represent. What are your thoughts on this?
P.G.: Rules are there for a reason. The rules allow to have this. To add naturalized players with no apparent or real roots to the country itself. For some reason, it’s there. I would think there would have to be more ties in connection. I don’t know, if playing a certain amount of years in the country allows you to do that. Having resided in the country for a certain amount of time. I don’t know exactly what the parameters should be but I think that would make sense to me. What I do know is that in our [Spain] case we’ve had a few naturalized players, or non-Spanish-born players on our team. But players who grew up in the system. Like Nikola Mirotic or Serge Ibaka. That makes a little more sense, right? You speak the language, you have grown up in the country, you have spent a certain amount of time there.
With Lorenzo, there was a lot of controversy as you said, because of that. If the rules allows it and that player actually adds a significant value to your team and gives you a better chance to win. It worked out really well for Spain and for our team in the European championship last year. He played really well. I think our culture and identity that we can ourselves a family (editor’s note: “La Familia”) really embraced him and I think he really felt that and that allowed him to elevate his game and contribute in a meaningful way. It really worked out for us. Ultimately, I think the fans also obviously love your national team to play well and if let’s say Greece and Thomas Walkup play and they win the World Cup, I think they would be happy about that right? And they would be happy to call him Greek as well even though he’s not much of a Greek player.
Again, I don’t know if the rules will change at some point. That’s something that FIBA has to consider. You have a board, you have a a team of people that think of these things and you have to trust that it’s there for a reason. Because the majority of national teams and countries agree and don’t oppose that. As long as it adds value and those feelings in the country and those players who come in understand what they represent… It’s a responsibility too. If I was from a country and I played for another country, to me it’s a responsibility of defending that country’s name and colors and pride and history. So that also should be into consideration.
It’s a debatable subject. But at the same it’s there for a reason and sometimes it works better than others as we’ve seen in the past. We’ll see how it goes forward.
EH: This year the discussion, debate or even “TV drama” around the NBA MVP award were probably bigger than ever before, and maybe even went too far since it involved things that didn’t have to do exclusively with basketball. As a European who didn’t grow up in the USA and has another background and way of seeing things, do you find it any strange or weird, even after your long experience in the NBA, that the MVP debate was so heated?
P.G.: I think that the discussion was different than other years is because [Nikola] Jokic was a winner of the trophy two years in a row. Giannis [Antetokounmpo] was two years prior to that in a row. Now you got Joel Embiid who has played at a high level and who’s also a worthy candidate and, as we’ve seen now, a winner. It seemed like: “Can Jokic be three years in a row the MVP?”. He has the best record in the West, he’s played at the same – or better – level with the previous years. Giannis also has the best record in the East. He’s had an incredible year and played at an incredible level this season once again.
So, should Joel Embiid win the MVP or should one of the other two who are just as worthy and done just as much – or more – than they did in previous years when they won the award? To me, when you have the best record that should be the “difference factor”. I mean the Sixers were 3rd which is obviously a great position but it’s not first. Usually the teams with the best record have that.
But again, it’s a bunch of media people that vote. And it’s up to them to vote and decide who’s the winner. And this year they decided that it’s Joel. Obviously I’m happy for Joel. I’m happy and proud because these three players are international players and that just speaks so highly and powerfully of the growth of the game and the power, impact and dominance of international players.
For me it’s great to see Giannis doing what he’s doing and how he carries himself and what he represents for Milwaukee, for Greece and for international basketball. How Nikola Jokic just does what he does. So unassuming. He doesn’t do it for the individual recognition, he doesn’t do it to get a bigger status. He just loves the game, plays the game at such a high level and makes such a big difference. We’ll see if this year that comes along with a championship which would be incredible for Denver and for him and his legacy.
Congratulations to Joel. We saw the video when he was communicated that he won it. It was really emotionally impacting for him and rewarding. I’m happy for him. You just got to be happy for whoever wins and whoever gets that.
At the end of the day it’s important but it’s not the most important. We’re in a team sport and I think that any of those players will trade the MVP for a championship. That’s the ultimate goal.
Photo: FIBA Basketball