Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish basketball player who made his entry into the NBA during the 2001 draft after he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as their third overall pick. This made him the second Spaniard to earn a spot in the NBA after Fernando Martin. However, the Hawks immediately traded his rights to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he established himself as a formidable player. Pau Gasol went ahead to break the franchise record for the number of free throws scored and attempted, as well as field goals scored. After 6 ½ seasons with the Grizzlies, Gasol went ahead to play for the Los Angeles Lakers (2008-2014), Chicago Bulls (2014-2016), San Antonio Spurs (2016-2019), and finally Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers waived him before he could play a game for the team.
The outstanding NBA achievements and desire to get back
Gasol not only holds an outstanding record as a Spaniard in the NBA, but he has accomplished some outstanding achievements. The power forward was the NBA Rookie of the year in 2012 (the first non-American to win this award), has won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, and is a six-time All-NBA Star. Gasol is also one of the four players in NBA history to have over 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 1900 blocks, and 3500 assists during the regular season. With all these achievements, it is easy to see why Pau Gasol is still eager to get back to the NBA and play alongside his brother Marc Gasol.
The love for Nike HyperDunks
As a high flying basketball player, Pau Gasol had an exciting partnership with Nike that lasted for years. While the perks of being signed with Nike, which is the NBA’s top-ranking brand, is the extensive collection of shoes to settle for, Gasol loved the Hyperdunks. Over the years, the power forward who stands at 7-feet 1-inch and wears shoe size 16 is renowned for wearing the following shoes:
Nike Hyperdunk X
Pau Gasol loved the high top version of the Nike Hyperdunk X that was released on the 10th anniversary of the successful line of shoes. These high-performance sneakers feature a multi-directional rubber outsole, a Zoom air-cushioned midsole, and Flywire technology that provides lockdown support. As an extra plus, these shoes had an upper made from woven jacquard and was largely considered one of the best releases of 2018.
Nike Hyperdunk 2017
Draymond Green had the honors of unveiling this shoe during the 2016/2017 playoffs, and it instantly became a hit. Pau Gasol was among the Nike athletes who settled for this model that became popular for its comfortable fit. It also brought back the Lunar cushioning that was last used in 2014, but this time it was lighter and more responsive.
Nike Hyperdunk 2015
The Nike Hyperdunk is famously known as the shoe that propelled Paul George to have his own signature shoe line. This was because he was the face of this model that was a redesign from the 2014 model and featured an extra high upper plus thick midsole.