Los Angeles Lakers to Retire Pau Gasol’s No. 16 Jersey

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol’s name and number are headed to the rafters…

The 42-year-old Spanish former professional basketball player will join a long line of legendary players when his number is retired in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ rafters next season.

The Lakers will honor Gasol’s No. 16 on March 7 when it hosts the Memphis Grizzlies, the team has announced as part of its schedule release for 2022-23.

Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, was traded from the Memphis to L.A. in 2008 and teamed with Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

Gasol played in L.A. until 2014 when he signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. He earned three of his six career All-Star appearances in his time with the franchise.

He retired from basketball last fall after a final season in his native Spain.

Gasol’s jersey will hang alongside Hall of Fame centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as well as Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, Gail Goodrich and Jamaal Wilkes.

Carmelo Anthony Earns Player of the Week Honors for First Time in Five Years

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is back in the game in a big way…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican basketball star returned to the NBA only two weeks ago, but he’s already earning kudos for his strong play.

The league has named Anthony, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, its Western Conference Player of the Week. The Trail Blazers went 3-0, beating the Chicago Bullstwice, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony led those efforts, averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The last time Anthony was named a player of the week was March 10, 2014, while he was a member of the New York Knicks.

Anthony has now played six games for the Trail Blazers since signing with them last month. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.7 minutes per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.

Prior to inking the non-guaranteed contract with Portland, the 10-time All-Starhadn’t played since November 8, 2018, with the Houston Rockets.

Pau Gasol Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Portland Trail Blazers

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol will be blazing a new trail…

The 39-year-old Spanish professional basketball player has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN.

Gasol joins a reshaped Trail Blazers roster that’s prepared to make a run at a return to the Western Conferencefinals — and perhaps beyond.

On Twitter, Gasol said he’s enthused to join the Blazers.

“I’m very excited to announce that next season (my 19th in the @NBA) I’ll play for the @trailblazers,” he tweeted, adding, “Ready and happy to join one of the best teams in the league!”

Gasol will be added to a center rotation that includes Hassan Whiteside, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic — once Nurkic returns from a serious leg injury.

Portland had success with a center rotation that included Enes Kanter late last season and into the playoffs. Kanter signed with the Boston Celtics this summer.

Gasol brings the résumé of a future Hall of Famer as compiled across 18 NBA seasons, including two championships and six All-Starappearances.

He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after a buyout with the San Antonio Spurslast season but played only three games with Milwaukee before a season-ending foot injury.

Gasol finished the campaign having played just 30 games, averaging a career-low 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Gasol discussed a free-agent deal with the Blazers in 2016 before signing with San Antonio.

He also has played with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, and he had an outstanding FIBAcareer with the Spanish national team.

Robin Lopez to Join Twin Brother Brook Lopez & the Milwaukee Bucks

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like it’ll be a family affairnext season for Robin Lopez…

The 31-year-old half-Cuban American professional basketball player has reportedly reached a deal with his twin brother Brook Lopez’s team, the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.

Lopez’s deal will put the siblings on the same team for the first time in the NBA.

Lopez, a 7-foot center, saw his playing time decrease in each of his three seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and he averaged just 21.7 minutes in 2018-19 as Chicago increasingly gave its younger players more of a run.

Though Bulls coach Jim Boylenpraised Lopez for his professionalism and willingness to help Chicago’s young core while sacrificing his own stats, the Bulls had a roster crunch with big men, as 2018 lottery pick Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Cristiano Felicio previously had signed multi-year deals.

Lopez is entering his 12th NBA season, with previous stops with the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Knicks. He holds career averages 9.1 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 53.1% from the field.

New York Knicks Agree to Trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is ready to take Oklahoma by (thunder)storm…

The New York Knicks have agreed to trade the 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican NBA star, a 10-time All-Star forward, to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN.

The Thunder will send center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick (via the Chicago Bulls) to New York, league sources said.

Anthony, 33, will waive his no-trade clause and his $8.1 million trade kicker to accommodate the deal, league sources told ESPN.

A trade call is scheduled for Monday to finalize the deal with the league office, sources said. Anthony is planning to arrive on Monday afternoon in Oklahoma City to take a physical and be available to practice Tuesday at the opening of the Thunder’s training camp, according to league sources.

Anthony would only waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources said. His no-trade clause will go with him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony joins the league’s reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook, and All-Star forward Paul George on a reshaped and formidable Western Conference contender. Westbrook and George — who could become free agents in the summer of 2018 — played a significant role in recruiting Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for Oklahoma City, league sources said.

The Thunder made a huge commitment with the Anthony deal, incurring $27.8 million in luxury tax for the 2017-18 season. The Thunder payroll will rise to $134 million this season. Anthony has two years, $54 million left on his contract, including a player option for $27.9 million in 2018-19.

Gasol Finalizing Two-Year Deal with San Antonio Spurs

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol is heading to the Lone Star State…

The 35-year-old Spanish basketball star has confirmed reports that he is finalizing a two-year deal ‎with the San Antonio Spurs worth in excess of $30 million, according to ESPN.

The deal will feature a player option in the second year, according to ESPN’s sources.

Gasol had emerged as the target of a lucrative free-agency bidding war that had also involved the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors, sources said.

Gasol, who will turn 36 on Wednesday, spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Bulls and gave the team a solid offensive punch down on the blocks and provided a professional presence in the locker room.

Last year he averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds for a Bulls team that missed out on the playoffs.

Gasol Named EuroBasket MVP After Leading Spain to the Gold

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol has propelled Spain into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro…

The 35-year-old Spanish basketball star had a double-double as Spain cruised past Lithuania 80-63 on Sunday to take the EuroBasket title.

Gasol, the European Basketball Championship MVP, helped Spain earn its third title in the last four tournaments after having to settle for bronze two years ago.

“It was an incredible championship,” Gasol said. “We went through struggles early on but the team responded well, and with our backs to the wall, we understood that we had to play better defense.”

With Spain’s King Felipe VI and tennis star Rafael Nadal in the stands, the final was a one-sided affair as the Spaniards opened a 13-point lead in the first quarter and were never really threatened.

Gasol finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots, one steal and no turnovers to earn the tournament’s MVP award.

“It’s of special significance to play this well at this stage of my career after all I’ve accomplished,” said Gasol, the Chicago Bulls center who has two NBA championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. “It is something I will remember until the end of my life.

The victory completed a turnaround for Spain, which came to the tournament without Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Juan Carlos Navarro and Ricky Rubio and lost two of its first three games.

But with Gasol dominating, Spain raised its game when it mattered and looked impressive throughout the knockout stage. Gasol put his stamp on the final early, scoring eight straight points for Spain to lead 19-6.

That helped the team overcome the loss of influential guard Rudy Fernandez halfway into the third quarter when he was fouled by Robertas Javtokas. Fernandez fell to the ground, was helped off the floor while holding his left hip and did not return.

Spain and Lithuania booked direct slots to next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Spain won the silver medal in the past two Olympics, and Gasol said he would be around once again if his body holds up.

Spain guard Sergio Rodriguez joined Gasol in the tournament’s all-star team.

Gasol Reportedly Inching Closer to Deal with the Chicago Bulls

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol may be dealing with plenty of bull in the near future…

The 34-year-old Spanish professional basketball player is reportedly thisclose to joining the Chicago Bulls, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca and other media reports.

The paper first reported late Friday that the Bulls are closing in on a deal with Gasol despite the absence of a sign-and-trade agreement with his most recent team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com late Friday that a sign-and-trade arrangement had not been struck, with the Lakers still looking for draft compensation — as they received in Friday’s earlier trade with the Houston Rockets to take back the contract of Jeremy Lin — as the primary return for Gasol.

ESPN.com reported earlier Friday that the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs had emerged as the two leading candidates to land Gasol, with San Antonio poised to land the Spaniard if the Bulls and Lakers could not finalize a sign-and-trade deal.

Sources told ESPN.com late Friday that the Bulls were prioritizing their pursuit of Gasol even ahead of their long-running efforts to sign Carmelo Anthony, fearing that Anthony remains likely to stay with the New York Knicks.

The Lakers appear resigned to seeing Gasol exit after a successful six seasons together. Prior to Friday, the Lakers offered Gasol two deals: two years worth $23 million, and three years worth $29 million, a National Basketball League source told ESPNLosAngeles.com. Gasol turned down both offers, according to the source.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been pursuing Gasol as hard as anyone, but sources indicated Friday that the Spurs have joined the Bulls ahead of the Thunder in Gasol’s pecking order.

The Thunder had a $6.5 million trade exception that expired Friday night at 11:59 p.m. ET that they had hoped to use in their own sign-and-trade with L.A.

Making hard runs at free agents is not something seen often from the Thunder, but Gasol had been lobbied face to face by OKC stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as well as coach Scott Brooks and general manager Sam Presti since free agency began.

The Knicks, meanwhile, had been trying to trade Amar’e Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani in hopes of clearing sufficient salary-cap space to convince Gasol to come to New York to play alongside a re-signed Anthony. But sources said Friday night that the Knicks, like the Lakers and Thunder, appeared to be out of contention.

Nocioni’s Ready to Play Ball, NBA Lockout or Not!

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

Philadelphia 76ers forward Andrés Nocioni isn’t letting the NBA lockout keep him from playing ball.

The 32-year-old Argentinean basketball star is returning to his homeland to play for the Club Atlético Peñarol (Mar del Plata), the two-time reigning champion of the country’s Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB).

“Chapu,” as he’s commonly known, will play for the team in the Super 8, a tournament played at the end of the year that features the eight teams
with the best records in the first half of the season.

“I always wanted to play here,” said Nocioni during a team press conference. “And when the opportunity arose, I made it a reality.”

Nocioni calls the NBA lockout an “atypical situation and really confusing;” and when he’s done with the Super 8 tournament, he’ll think about whether to continue with Peñarol or sign a contract with a European basketball team.

“Staying put would have been crazy because the Olympic Games in London are so close,” says Nocioni, who will once again be coached by Sergio
“Oveja“ Hernández.

Hernandez is thrilled that Nocioni has signed on to play with Peñarol, while Nocioni’s friend and new team member Leonardo Gutiérrez calls his arrival “a pride and pleasure.”

Nocioni is part of the so-called “Golden Generation” of basketball of Argentina, who won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens and a bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Before his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, Nocioni played for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.

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