Pau Gasol feels like a beast as he looks towards Olympics and beyond – NBA News
Spanish flag bearer at the London Olympics and NBA star forward/centre Pau Gasol has worked hard on his physique to get ready for the Olympics, where he leads the Spanish team as they attempt at spoiling a U.S party by winning gold.
And Gasol has a towering and impressive built to speak for the hard work he has put into his preparation for the games.
"I'm a beast. Yeah, I feel pretty good. I feel strong,” said Gasol while talking to Reuters.com.
Los Angeles Lakers teammate and NBA future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant has noticed the change in the body as well as attitude of Gasol. Reuters.com also reports:
“Bryant said the 7-foot (2.13m), 32-year-old Gasol looked stronger, absorbing contact and pushing back in an impressive display that boded well for future Lakers' success.”
Gasol was the corner stone of a rejuvenated and upgraded Lakers franchise and team that won back to back national championships in the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 NBA seasons. His aggressive play inside the post gave Bryant the partner he needed after the departure of big man Shaquille O’Neal, with whom Bryant had already won three NBA championships.
But over the last two seasons, Gasol’s play seems to have been affected and he is not at his usual best. He failed to bring his A-game in the 2011 as well as 2012 postseason, resulting in an early elimination for the Lakers. This season, Gasol was openly criticized by Bryant for not bringing the level of aggression and intensity to the court that he was one synonymous with.
Gasol has struggled in a new Lakers offense under new coach Mike Brown, which relies heavily on Bryant. A good Olympics outing could be exactly what Gasol needs at this stage of his career. It could give him the confidence to return to his former dominating self, and at the same time regain the trust of Coach Brown and Bryant. It may even help is rebuilding the bridge between Bryant and Gasol, which seems to have been damaged over the past two seasons.
Besides his NBA career, Gasol also has a great deal to prove on the Olympic stage. He is the leader of a Spanish team that has dominated international basketball over the past decade, but seems to come up short in the Olympics each time they make the visit. They were the silver medal winners in Beijing in 2008, and Gasol would love to add a gold medal to his long list of achievements before he hangs his boots.
This year might be his best shot as the U.S team, the main contender for the Gold medal, is missing some important players and is particularly thin in the front court.
Gasol seems to be in the right frame of mind entering the Olympics competition, but he has a lot more to prove in the days to come.
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