Not just another game for Gasol
Facing Grizzlies reunites veteran with team where he forged his reputation
It is no coincidence that the two NBA teams with which Marc Gasol is associated are known in large part for their selflessness, their success and the way they go about their business with little in the way of selfcongratulations.
He is, as Raptors coach Nick Nurse said, a “high-level sportsman” and that’s high praise indeed.
“He’s just all about the right things, which is first and foremost winning,” Nurse said of the Raptors centre, who plays against the Grizzlies for the first time on Sunday afternoon on the NBA’s Florida campus. “He wants to win and he wants to be seen as the guy who really knows how to play the game, plays it the right way … Great teammate, all those kinds of things.
“He’s a high-level sportsman, if you know what I mean.”
What he means is that Gasol embodies all that should be important to athletes. He is team first. He cares only about the end result. He comports himself as a professional with a well-grounded understanding of where sports exist in the greater world.
Gasol’s like an Everyman in basketball and life. And the Raptors truly appreciate it.
“That’s a big part of our chemistry, is being willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team, and Mark’s a guy you never have to worry about complaining about where’s the ball, and how many shots he’s getting,” Fred VanVleet said Friday. “I mean, he’s probably on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of not wanting to shoot a whole lot, so I know that he’s helped me out.”
It all began for Gasol in Memphis, where he landed as a teenager — his first time away from his native Spain — and grew into one of the top basketball talents on the planet.
He did it by never seeing himself as anything other than a part of the whole in his 11 seasons in Memphis. The Grit And Grind era in the mid-2010s was built on all-for-one, all-about-team mentalities and gave fans there the greatest stretch of play since the team moved from
Vancouver.
Individual accolades meant nothing.
“Everyone that was brought in, they understood what it was about and how we were going to play and approach each and every single game,” Gasol said on a Zoom call with reporters on the Raptors’ off-day Saturday. “That’s just the way we worked. We were never afraid of anybody. Didn’t matter how many national TV games, it didn’t matter how many lobs (we threw) or MVPs you had.
“You had to come and not only beat us, but beat us down. We would not give up, ever.”
Funny, isn’t it. That’s precisely what the Raptors pride themselves on. Their string of success since Gasol was obtained in a February 2019 trade has been unprecedented in the NBA for the past season and a half — a championship last season, third-best record in the league this season — and the 35-yearold Gasol was, and is, the galvanizing figure.
He’s not as athletically gifted as some, not as electric in the way he plays as others are. All he does is care and win and help however he can.
“We spoke about it the other day and, you know, he (was) just saying that we kind of remind him a lot of the teams that he was on (that) didn’t have a quote-unquote superstar from what the media portrays,” said VanVleet.
“(Teams) that play hard, you know it’s going take a great effort every night to beat us. And I think (it’s) not a coincidence that he’s a part of both groups. He’s a big part of what we do here and he makes a lot of things possible. And I don’t know if he cares that much about praise, but I’m lucky to play with him and I know he’s helped my career tremendously.”
It’s unfortunate that the pandemic has robbed fans in Memphis of a chance to thank him. Grizzlies ownership has already said it would eventually retire Gasol’s number, and his appreciation for the city is real: “My roots go pretty deep, and my love for the people there and what they mean and for the franchise ... you know it’s forever,” he said.
But in some ways, he’s OK with the lack of fanfare because that’s not what he’s about. Gasol has always been about bigger things, greater concerns, group success rather than personal accolades. He’s been cheated out of a chance to see old friends, but you get the sense he’s fine without the pomp and circumstance that will eventually accompany his first game back in Memphis.
“I’m somebody that really locks in to play, and it’s not easy to say hello to all the ushers and all the people who work around the team and then try to execute the game plan and beat the other team,” he said. “It’s not as simple as it seems. There are a lot of emotions. I’m very businesslike when it comes to playing, and I would not like all the (attention) before a game. I like to just go there and play the game, win, and then we can chit-chat.”