Pau Gasol considers it a “huge honour” to be the first Spaniard to be part of the NBA Hall of Fame
The one from Sant Boi praised Toni Kukoc, master of ceremonies, and had words of affection for his ‘brother’ Kobe Bryant
The Catalan, supported by his relatives, has recognized that “the ‘Dream Team’ changed my life and made me dream”
The former basketball player Pau Gasol has entered the ‘Hall of Fame’, the NBA Hall of Fameand he has become the first Spaniard to do so, all at a gala in which he highlighted the “huge honour” that supposes the award and in which he remembered the ill-fated Kobe Bryantwith which he won two rings with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother. I wish more than anything that you and Gigi were here. I love you and miss you. Thank you Vanessa for being here today, I am proud to be an uncle for your wonderful daughters, I love you very much”, said the man from Sant Boi, adding that “the black mamba” “raised my game like no other, he taught me what it took to win at the highest level, he showed me how hard you had to work and the mentality it took to be the best.”
Croatian Toni Kukoc, master of ceremonies
At Symphony Hall in Springfield, in Massachusetts (USA), the Catalan was surrounded by his parents, his wife, his children and his brother Marc Gasol. “We experienced one of the most special things of our careers in that initial jump in the ‘All-Star’ 2015 at Madison Square Garden. It was very special to share that,” she recalled.
The Croatian former player Toni Kukoc, one of Michael Jordan’s legendary Chicago Bulls, was in charge of introducing him. “I watched Toni -Kukoc- when he was young, he was an incredible player. You inspired me to follow your steps“Pau said.
In addition, he also had words of gratitude for the technician Phil Jackson, a “truly amazing man” that it taught him “things more important than the game, such as mentality, meditation, blocking noise, encouraging us to read and cultivating our minds.”
Finally, Gasol indicated that “I was 12 years old when the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games were held, that changed my life with the ‘Dream Team’. The ‘Dream Team’ taught us how to play basketball, it made me dream about playing at that level, playing against the best of the best.”
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2023-08-13 12:56:43
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