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Marc Gasol admits moving away from the Toronto Raptors – the franchise that gave him the first and only championship of his 12-year career two seasons ago – has been painful, even if it meant he was joining the champion reigning Los Angeles Lakers.
“It was difficult,” Gasol said Wednesday, during his introductory press conference with the Lakers via video conference from Spain. “It was very hard. The first few days [of free agency] were a bit difficult for me, but once you’ve decided, ‘OK, what [do] you want to do next? Or? How? ‘Or’ What [do] do you want to embark on your next challenge? I thought the right thing to do was go with the Lakers. “
Gasol signed a two-year, $ 5.3 million deal to come to Los Angeles, league sources told ESPN. The 35-year-old center was drafted by the Lakers with the 48th pick in 2007 and later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a trade for his older brother, Pau, in 2008.
Marc Gasol then played 10 and a half seasons in Memphis before being traded to Toronto, where he teamed with Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry & Co. to win a ring in 2019 against an injury-riddled Golden State Warriors team. the end of its dynasticism. run.
“How am I going to remember the Raptors? Number one, I’m going to miss Toronto,” Gasol said. “Toronto was a great place, my family was very settled there, very comfortable, they really enjoyed their stay. …
“And that’s how it is, unfortunately this business goes. I thought my run in Toronto couldn’t be better and we would always be chasing the ring, that I wasn’t sure I could be the player. who they needed me to be there to win. So I thought the right thing for me to do was join the Lakers and help what they did. “
The news that they would be playing their home games in Tampa, Fla., This season at least to begin with, further complicated his decision to stay with the Raptors.
“I told my teammates who stayed there – Kyle, Freddy [VanVleet], Pascal [Siakam], Standard [Powell] and the rest of the guys and even Coach [Nick Nurse] – how much they meant to me, how much they helped me, “said Gasol.” And I will miss them very much, I cannot lie to you, because we have lived together something very unique, that is very special, and that creates a bond forever and no one can take it away from us. “
Three-time star player and defensive player of the year 2013, Gasol averaged 7.5 points out of 42.7% shooting (38.5% out of 3), 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last season – a significant drop from his career average of 14.6 points on 48.1% shooting.
With Toronto, he could have been asked to play a bigger role after the LA Clippers signed Serge Ibaka. With the Lakers, he will fill a big-man rotation around All-NBA artist Anthony Davis with Montrezl Harrell and Markieff Morris.
“To have a chance to be part of a great team and see how the coach [Frank Vogel] and the GM [Rob Pelinka] and everyone felt that I could contribute to that, that told me a lot, “Gasol said.” A team that just won a championship by presenting these ideas to you, and that for me was awesome. “
As he worked on his decision between Los Angeles and Toronto, Gasol said he never seriously considered returning home to Spain to play for FC Barcelona, despite a report indicating otherwise.
Although Pau Gasol helped Kobe Bryant hang two championship banners at Staples Center in 2009 and 2010 – Marc says he was in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals when Los Angeles broke through against the Boston Celtics – he did not been brutal in showing his little brother the ropes.
“He didn’t give me any advice,” Marc Gasol said of Pau. “They’re a completely different team than they are now. I don’t think there are any players left from then, and a whole different coaching staff, so it’s up to me to make it work. over all.”
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