After having been laughing for 10 years with Carlton Myers and his 2nd places with Fortitudo Bologna (one Italian trophy), let's talk about the XXX Millennium "Gonna Be a Loser Forever" Award.
Pau Gasol started his amazing career in 2000-01, when he was pretty unknown and the new ULEB Euroleague carried the performances of Pau everywhere in Europe. Drafted by the Grizzlies, he moved to the NBA the same season. Back to Europe for the 2001 Eurobasket, where he was amazing (17.3 ppg + 9.7 rpg). Anyway, despite the incredible tournament, Spain collapsed in the 3rd quarter of the semis (Gasol 22, only 2 points in the 3rd quarter, when Yugoslavia run away).
In 2003 Spain got more experience and his a tremendous candidate to win the first gold of its history: Gasol is amazing again, this time with excellent % from the court. Spain - after four years - gets the ticket for the 1st place final. Gasol scores 36 (increasing his stats in the last minutes in pure NBA style), Lithuania wins an easily game.
Olympic Games 2004, Spain faces USA in quarters: Spain is 5-0, USA 3-2. Sincerely, Gasol hasn't been the responsible of the Spanish's Waterloo (everyone can remember the 5/18 of Navarro). 29 points, 9/17 fg and 11/11 ft.
Gasol misses the Eurobasket 2005 and the final game of the WC 2006 (because he's probably unlucky too: he played only one final in his career, losing it, and he missed this one. Unfortunately for Greece, I add...).
Eurobasket, 2007: Gasol has 3/8 ft in the last 3'30", and Spain lost by one point. Despite the rebounds (14), Gasol had 3/12 2p, 1/1 3p, and 5/12 ft. He has also been very unlucky with the last shot (personally when the ball left his hands, I saw it in the ring), but "luck" sometimes is an award.
Despite his nice career in the NBA (18.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg), one appearence in the All Star Game, Gasol has never reached the 2nd round of the playoff. No, not only that: this is the personal record of Pau Gasol in the NBA post-season: 0-12. One of the best players of the NBA has never won a single playoff game in six years.
Pau Gasol started his amazing career in 2000-01, when he was pretty unknown and the new ULEB Euroleague carried the performances of Pau everywhere in Europe. Drafted by the Grizzlies, he moved to the NBA the same season. Back to Europe for the 2001 Eurobasket, where he was amazing (17.3 ppg + 9.7 rpg). Anyway, despite the incredible tournament, Spain collapsed in the 3rd quarter of the semis (Gasol 22, only 2 points in the 3rd quarter, when Yugoslavia run away).
In 2003 Spain got more experience and his a tremendous candidate to win the first gold of its history: Gasol is amazing again, this time with excellent % from the court. Spain - after four years - gets the ticket for the 1st place final. Gasol scores 36 (increasing his stats in the last minutes in pure NBA style), Lithuania wins an easily game.
Olympic Games 2004, Spain faces USA in quarters: Spain is 5-0, USA 3-2. Sincerely, Gasol hasn't been the responsible of the Spanish's Waterloo (everyone can remember the 5/18 of Navarro). 29 points, 9/17 fg and 11/11 ft.
Gasol misses the Eurobasket 2005 and the final game of the WC 2006 (because he's probably unlucky too: he played only one final in his career, losing it, and he missed this one. Unfortunately for Greece, I add...).
Eurobasket, 2007: Gasol has 3/8 ft in the last 3'30", and Spain lost by one point. Despite the rebounds (14), Gasol had 3/12 2p, 1/1 3p, and 5/12 ft. He has also been very unlucky with the last shot (personally when the ball left his hands, I saw it in the ring), but "luck" sometimes is an award.
Despite his nice career in the NBA (18.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg), one appearence in the All Star Game, Gasol has never reached the 2nd round of the playoff. No, not only that: this is the personal record of Pau Gasol in the NBA post-season: 0-12. One of the best players of the NBA has never won a single playoff game in six years.
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