Veteran center Marc Gasol is having a great 2019. So far, he's won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors, and just recently, he helped Spain to a gold medal finish in the FIBA World Cup.
Fellow Spaniard Jose Calderon believes that Gasol's success is a testament to his unselfishness and team-first mentality as a player.
🔊NBA PG @JmCalderon {Jose Calderon} explains to @TheFrankIsola & @Mitch_Lawrence what makes former @BaloncestoESP teammate @MarcGasol so special in both NBA & international play pic.twitter.com/ut4Vf5jnLh
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 16, 2019
Gasol averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in Spain's championship run in the FIBA World Cup. His tournament-best was a 33-point outburst against Australia in the semifinals. However, he didn't need to score that many points, and whenever he doesn't focus on getting buckets, he's getting his teammates involved.
Calderon was right, Gasol never really cared about his individual performance. What mattered to him is helping Spain win, which is exactly the same mentality he had when he became a member of the Raptors.
Marc knew that he was no longer going to be the focal point of the team's offense, but he never complained. Instead, he embraced his role and helped Toronto in every way possible. That proved to be effective, as the franchise won its first-ever NBA title back in June.
After Spain's win, Gasol gave an indication that the recently concluded World Cup could be his last. For now, he'll shift his focus back on the upcoming NBA season.
Gasol joins Lamar Odom as the only players to win the NBA and FIBA World Cup championship. The latter did it back in 2010 for the Los Angeles Lakers and Team USA.
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