The best of Gasol
There’s no denying that one of, if not the most significant reason why the Bucks added Gasol through the buyout market was the experience and pedigree he possesses.
A two-time champion as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and having played a number of critical international games representing his home country of Spain over his basketball career, Gasol knows a thing or two about playing in the most pressure-filled moments the game of basketball can offer.
For a Bucks team that had failed to advance past the first round the previous 18 seasons prior to this year, Gasol’s veteran know-how in the playoffs was something that only players like fellow veterans George Hill and Ersan Ilyasova could say they went through.
Even in the twilight of his prestigious career that nearly spans two decades, at least in the NBA, having a player of Gasol’s stature is significant in the locker room for those reasons and overall. Certainly, the bond Gasol holds with Nikola Mirotic speaks for itself and Mirotic even stood as a key piece in Gasol coming to Milwaukee as he was formulating his buyout with the Spurs.
And regardless of how he fared in his limited action with the Bucks this season, Gasol fit right in when it came to his opinion on who should be crowned this year’s Most Valuable Player.