Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol is a basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. The 7-foot Spaniard is one of the most versatile power forwards in the League and especially known for his remarkable - considering his size - finesse and agility.

The native of Barcelona, Spain, was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2001 and immediately traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies which relocated to Memphis that same year. Gasol went on to become the Rookie of the Year and the first Grizzlies player to be named to the All-Star Game.

In spite of his personal success, the Memphis Grizzlies never made it out of the first round of the playoffs, being swept for three consecutive seasons from 2003-04 to 2005-06. On February 1, 2008, Pau was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Kwame Brown - widely hailed as a huge steal of a deal.

Pau Gasol enjoyed much more team success in international competition, winning gold and the MVP at the 2006 World Championships and twice winning silver in European Championships (2003, 2007). Pau's brother Marc is also a professional basketball player, suiting up for Girona in the Spanish ACB league.

Created by: Ole