Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol was a power forward basketball player who competed at five Olympic Games for Spain, winning silver medals in 2012 and 2016 and a bronze medal in 2020. He led Spain to the 2006 World Cup title and was named MVP at that tournament. He won three titles at EuroBasket (2009, 2011, 2015), adding two silver and two bronze medals at that tournament. He played for FC Barcelona from 1998-2001.

Gasol was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and as the #3 pick overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, although he never played for Atlanta. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, playing for them from 2001-08, and then spent six years with the Los Angeles Lakers. From 2014-16 he played for the Chicago Bulls, then had three years with the San Antonio Spurs. He played one final NBA season (2019) with the Milwaukee Bucks but came back in 2021 with FC Barcelona before retiring.

With the Lakers Gasol won NBA titles in 2009 and 2010. He was a six-time NBA All-Star (2006, 2009-11, 2015-16) and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002. He finished his NBA career with averages of 17.0 pts/game, 9.2 rebounds/game, and 3.2 assists/game.

Off the court Gasol became known for his charitable and philanthropic endeavors. He was named a UNICEF ambassador in 2003. In 2010 UNICEF’s Pau Project began in Ethiopia to fight infant malnutrition. In July 2019, he was named a Global Champion for Nutrition and Zero Childhood Obesity by UNICEF Global.

In 2004 he received the Corazón de Oro (Gold Heart) award from the Spanish Heart Foundation for his work supporting infant survival and the rights of children in African nations and working against malnutrition. While playing in Memphis he was a supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. In April 2015 the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) gave him their Magic Johnson Award for his work in charity projects.

Gasol was co-opted onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2021 as an Athlete Member of the IOC.