The ACB official website (and just about every other Spanish-language outlet for sports news) offers a lengthy piece on Pau Gasol, based on interviews with French newspaper L’Equipe.
Highlighted in the Spanish league reportage is Pau’s line to the effect that “I prefer the European game in the NBA because basketball is a team sport and is more beautiful to watch when players pass the ball or when ball movement creates shots.”
(Gods know what language this interview took place in, so bear in mind that this quote is probably emerging by way of English to French to Spanish and back to English; however, surely the sentiment survives through this mutant translation.)
Gasol also seemingly put to rest any notions of his playing for FC Barcelona this season, stating that he’s only training with the club and that it wouldn’t be “fair” were he activated only to have to return to America for the NBA season. With his addition to the team, Gasol reckons that “the Barça game would change. In the end, my starting the season with the team would penalize them.”
Of course, these particular comments precludes the possibility of the entire 2011-12 NBA season’s cancellation … so let the speculation continue!
Meanwhile, with an eye on the 2012 Olympic Games, L’Equipe invested many column inches in Pau’s opinions of Teams Spain, France and USA. Gasol defers on the question of whether the 2011 Team Spain was the best edition since 2001, but touts the excellent “esprit de corps” the twelve enjoyed during the EuroBasket tournament.
As for Les Bleus, Pau naturally had nice things to say, agreeing that Joakim Noah made a huge difference for Team France: “What he brings in terms of energy, activity, mobility and physical strength was a huge help to France at [EuroBasket].”
O, and here’s some more grist for the rumor mill: When asked if he’d be interested in recruiting Juan Carlos Navarro to come play for the Los Angeles Lakers when the lockout ends, Gasol smiled and replied that “he should receive an interesting offer…”
