Pau’s Shock and the Lakers’ Slam Dunk Trade…
Once upon a basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers franchise pulled a wild card out of nowhere—or more specifically, a wild Slovenian. The b-ball community was left dribbling their jaws on the floor upon hearing that Luka Doncic, a towering talent, was swapped into the Lakers’ Hollywood script. This was déjà vu for Lakers legend Pau Gasol, who experienced a similarly stunning trade himself back in 2008 and is still trying to digest this extra-large slice of surprise pie.
During his chit-chat on the Knuckleheads podcast with Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, Gasol was blown away. “Surprised, shocked,” Gasol exclaimed like a kid finding out that broccoli is not optional. He marveled at how a player like Doncic could be traded at the ripe basketball age of 25. This is as shocking as finding out your favorite superhero works in a cubicle. Nevertheless, the Lakers are excitedly making high-fives at this courtship, ready to build a dynasty as impressive as Gasol’s collection of trade anecdotes.
Gasol, with his Euro expertise, didn’t stop at shock. He chimed in on the never-ending NBA talk, mentioning that the face of the league doesn’t need to be American. He reckons that with international talents stepping up like the world’s tallest relay team, there’s no single face to chase. It’s more of a selfie with multiple stars! So, as fans gobble popcorn, they’ll be watching if Doncic can light up Tinseltown just like Gasol once did.
