Pau Gasol believes the criticism that followed him early in his NBA career was exaggerated, arguing that his accomplishments and playoff performances proved he was far from a soft player.
Speaking on Drafteados, Gasol said the label did not affect him deeply because he knew his career achievements contradicted that perception.
“If I were a soft player I wouldn’t have made it to the NBA,” Gasol said, via HoopsHype. “If I had been soft, I wouldn’t have been Rookie of the Year, All-Star…”
Gasol entered the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001-02 and immediately became one of the league’s top young big men. He averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game as a rookie while shooting 51.8% from the field, winning Rookie of the Year.
Over his first seven seasons, Gasol developed into a two-time All-Star before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2007-08 season. He averaged 18.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 27 games with Los Angeles after the trade, helping the Lakers reach the NBA Finals.
Gasol acknowledged that his physicality became a major talking point after the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, but he pushed back against the idea that one series defined his toughness.
He pointed to the difficult opponents the Lakers defeated during that playoff run, including the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
“We played against the Denver Nuggets, with Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Nene, a physical and tough team,” Gasol said. “Then we went through the Utah Jazz… Then there were the Spurs with Fabricio Oberto, Duncan, Kurt Thomas.”
Gasol averaged 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.9 blocks during the 2008 playoffs, playing nearly 40 minutes per game across 21 postseason appearances. However, he averaged 14.7 points and 10.2 rebounds during the Finals against Boston, with the Celtics holding him to 42.2% shooting.
Gasol admitted the Finals exposed areas where he needed to improve physically, but he viewed the criticism as excessive.
“It’s true that the final was a physical final and maybe I wasn’t up to par physically speaking,” Gasol said. “But from there to the issue of not… I don’t know if I should call myself soft or point out my own shortcomings.”
The Spanish forward responded by improving his strength and physical preparation. The following season, Gasol averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 56.7% from the field and earned All-NBA Third Team honors.
He also played a central role in the Lakers’ championship run in 2009, averaging 18.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists during the playoffs. In the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, Gasol posted 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, helping Los Angeles win the title.
Gasol finished his NBA career as a six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and two-time champion with the Lakers. His career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 1,226 regular-season games remain among the strongest statistical resumes for an international player in NBA history.
