Pau Gasol burst onto the NBA scene in the early 2000s, quickly becoming arguably the best Spanish basketball player the sport has ever seen. Just as Pau was tearing up the league, his younger brother was waiting in the wings to do the exact same.
Marc Gasol debuted in 2008 with the Memphis Grizzlies, the same team that gave Pau his start, and became a household name instantly. Although Marc never quite reached the massive peak of Pau, he was considered one of the best centers in the game for around a decade. He announced his retirement from basketball on Wednesday.
Marc Gasol’s NBA career was illustrious
Starting in 2016, with the Golden State Warriors showing everyone how important three-point shooting is, Gasol began extending his range. For the next five seasons, he averaged over three 3-point shots per game and was surprisingly efficient.
That change in play style also coincided with his best season, in 2016. He averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game and 4.6 assists per game, to go along with his usual 6-plus rebounds.
Although his Grizzlies teams made the playoffs on six occasions, they didn’t have that much success. It wasn’t until 2019 that Gasol was able to make a deep postseason run, with the Toronto Raptors. Gasol was key for Toronto’s championship, playing over 28 minutes per game in the NBA Finals against the Warriors and contributing heavily on both ends.
Gasol spent one more season with the Raptors, before a final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He then played a couple of seasons in Girona until his retirement.
Gasol’s final career NBA averages: 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.4 BPG, 0.9 SPG, 48.1 FG%, 36% 3PT %. And these were his accolades.
- NBA Champion (2019 with Toronto Raptors)
- NBA All-Star (3x with Memphis Grizzlies)
- All-NBA First Team (2015)
- All-NBA Second Team (2013)
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2013)