On this day in 2008 the Lakers got Pau and a 2nd round pick from Memphis in exchange for his brother Marc, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and two first round draft choices. The Laker were playing good ball at the time (30-16) but wasn’t a real threat. Getting Pau instantly made them title contenders. They went 27-9 the rest of the way. They smoked the defending champs Spurs 4-1 in the WC finals before losing to the hated Celtics in 6 games in the NBA Finals.
And who can forget Pop’s response….Spurs coach Gregg Popovich openly panned the move. “What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” Popovich said at the time. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades.”
History would prove Pop very wrong! The trade was great for Memphis. It freed up cash to sign Zach Randolph. Z-Bo and Marc Gasol would team up to lead Memphis in their “Grit and Grind” era to 7 consecutive playoff appearances including a trip to the WC finals. Constrast that with the Pau era where they made the playoffs 3 straight years but got swept each time.
Man, I still remember the day we made that trade. Pau needs to have his jersey retired for the Lakers. People forget just how good the man was. He will also have a warm place in my heart for how he has helped Vanessa and the girls handle the death of Kobe. Pau will always be a Lakers great. Thanks, Lee.
Absolutely!
I agree LT. Pau’s jersey definitely belongs in the raptors. And yes he has always been a class act and very kindhearted. Happy Pau day!
Great analysis, LRob and I couldn’t agree more. History has shown the trade to have been quite equitable for both sides and not as lopsided as planet Earth howled about, at first. I remember I was on Phish tour in Hampton Virginia when I saw news of the trade. I was so stoked, I had been a big fan of Pau’s game from the get-go and thought he was one of a handful of players who complimented Kobe, fit seamlessly into the triangle and could man the 4 or 5, which we needed since we had lost AB17 to the first of several devastating knee injuries.
For sure Jamie…he not only complimented him perfectly skill wise but also his laid back personality was a good yin to Kobe’s yang.