In life there are moments that are so significant that they
leave a lasting impression on all those who witness them. Whether that moment is a positive or negative
one it will never be locked away and forgotten.
In fact they make such an impact that people remember small details that
they normally never would, like what they were wearing that day or who was
sitting next to them when it happened.
We call these “I remember where I was when” moments. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was one
of them, as was the inauguration of George Washington. For events such as these the few who
witnessed them would never forget them, and they would tell their children and
grandchildren stories about where they were when it happened.
As technology developed and grew in the 20th
century we saw an interesting phenomenon: “I remember where I was when” moments
that were felt not just by the observers witnessing events in person but also
by those listening or watching remotely.
Some events were so important, so shockingly beautiful or terrible, that
they became part of our national consciousness.
When Pearl Harbor was attacked Americans heard the news on
the radio, simultaneously experiencing the same feelings and emotions. The anger and desire for revenge united us as
a country and brought us together in a way that few could have predicted. Over two decades later we watched, live on
television, when man set foot on the moon.
We didn’t just read about it the next day in the paper, or listen to it
on the radio, we saw it happen right before our eyes, and we were mesmerized by
it. 9/11 saw us once again captivated by
a moment that could never be forgotten but for much more frightening reasons.
Within the last decade we have seen another seismic shift in
how we receive news and how we experience things. With the rise of the internet and social media
the telephone has become an entirely new beast, allowing us to communicate in
ways that Alexander Graham Bell never would have imagined.
When terrorist Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011 Americans
heard the news at the same time, but not on the radio, nor on television. Word spread quickly on social media sites
like facebook and twitter via cell phones, allowing most people to know about
Bin Laden’s demise before the news media could report it. In that moment we were experiencing a
collective “I remember where I was when” moment in a new way.
These are the moments that bring us together, that allow us
to feel and experience the same things at the same time, even if only for a
brief moment. When that happens on the
national scale it can be incredible.
Yet everyone has their own personal moments that they will
never forget as well, ones shaped by their own passions and inspirations. These include important events in their
personal lives, such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other
milestones. Those moments live with us
as well, even if they don’t have the nationally unifying effect that something
like 9/11 does.
There are, of course, in-between moments as well, ones that
don’t impact the entire nation but still have a larger reach than just an
individual and their own personal circle of influence. These events impact people who have a common
bond, one thing that brings them together when they otherwise wouldn’t be. Perhaps the greatest example of this comes in
sports, where legions of fans experience the same feelings of heartbreak and
triumph based upon the success or failure of their team. They celebrate victories together, mourn
losses, and support the team through thick and thin.
We are a crazy bunch
As a Laker fan I’ve certainly had more than my fair share of
“I remember where I was when” moments. Magic
Johnson’s junior sky hook to win game 4 against Boston, Kobe to Shaq against
Portland, Horry for the win, Magic’s retirement, the death of Dr. Jerry Buss, Kobe’s 81, and many, many more. I’ll remember
them all.
Today though, I’m being brought back to a different moment, and
I guess that’s because at the end you have to think about the beginning. February 1st, 2008: Pau Gasol was
traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
To be sure, this isn’t an event on the same level as a 9/11
or Pearl Harbor; I would never attempt to make that comparison. For a subset of people though, the ravenous,
frenzied bunch known as Laker fans, this was an “I remember where I was when”
moment.
I was sick. I had stayed home from work that day with a
nasty cold and fever, and had spent the majority of the morning drifting in and
out of consciousness. Eventually I fixed
myself some breakfast and started to snap out of it a little, so I turned on my
computer and checked out a chat being hosted by ESPN, I believe with David
Aldridge.
At one point Aldridge stopped the chat session and told
everyone to hang on for a minute, he was getting word of a trade involving the
Lakers. My heart skipped a beat. Andrew Bynum had been in the midst of a
breakout season, which had done just enough to placate Kobe Bryant that the
Lakers were able to convince him to rescind his trade request. It had been a tough offseason for the Lakers,
with Kobe rumored to be heading to either Chicago or Detroit via trade. He was tired of losing and wanted to return
to the top, which appeared to be impossible in LA. When Andrew Bynum started off the season
looking like an All-Star everything changed. However, Bynum had just gone down with a knee injury (which
would become a trend), and it looked like the Lakers would once again lack the
firepower to make any significant noise in the playoffs.
My fear was that with Bynum out the Lakers had given in and
traded Kobe Bryant, who at the time was arguably the best player in the league.
A moment later
Aldridge popped back up to clarify that the trade was for Pau Gasol from the
Memphis Grizzlies. When the full details
of the trade emerged I was stunned: Pau Gasol to the Lakers in exchange for
Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie (who was
signed to a contract just to be included in this trade, a loophole that has
since been closed), 2 first-round picks, and the rights to a second-round pick
named Marc Gasol (of course at the time no one thought Marc would ever be as
good as his brother).
Even sick and feverish I jumped up out of my seat and ran
around the house celebrating. I grabbed
my phone and texted every Laker-fan that I knew and turned on ESPN to revel as
Stephen A. Smith went on a tirade about how amazing this trade was for the
Lakers. I called my dad, who had taught
me to love the Lakers, and we shared in this great moment in Laker
history. He couldn’t believe that the
Lakers had landed Gasol without giving up Kobe, Bynum, or Lamar Odom.
Everyone could sense that this was a moment of monumental importance. The potential was there for this to be a turning point for the Lakers, one that could lead to greatness. The excitement in the air was tangible. Somehow, when the chips were down, the Lakers managed to do the impossible yet again.
5 days later Pau made his Laker debut against the New Jersey
Nets, fitting in seamlessly while putting up an impressive 24 points and 12
rebounds. The Lakers, thought to be dead
in the water without Andrew Bynum, were flying high again.
For the next three seasons the Lakers would find themselves
in the NBA Finals, riding the brilliance of Gasol and Bryant while players like
Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Ron Artest, and Derek Fisher played
their roles to perfection. During that
period 2 championships would be brought home to Los Angeles and Gasol cemented
his status as one of the most skilled big men to ever play the game.
His knack for passing out of the post created plenty of
opportunities for cutting teammates and was indicative of the selflessness he
displayed throughout his career. When
the Lakers needed a basket they knew that Gasol would always be ready to go
work in the post, often using a series of fakes to get his defender out of
position before deftly lofting the ball into the basket. For the Lakers It was another golden age, but nothing
lasts forever.
As the years went on Pau soldiered forward for the Lakers
even as obstacles mounted. In 2011 the
Lakers traded Gasol and Odom in a deal that would have netted them superstar
point guard Chris Paul, but it wasn’t to be.
Commissioner David Stern was fresh off of a Collective Bargaining
session that in part had the goal of preventing the Lakers from re-loading
their roster. Stern, claiming to be
acting as the owner of the league-owned Hornets, then broke the rules he
himself had put in place in order to keep the NBA from interfering with the
Hornets and vetoed the trade.
Stern’s villainy left Pau in an uncomfortable position,
having been traded by the franchise that he had helped bring two championships
to. The Lakers still haven’t recovered
from the vetoed deal, stuck in a downward spiral thanks to Stern’s actions and
subsequent mistakes made by the front office.
The team’s relationship with Pau was damaged even further
when they hired Coach Mike D’Antoni, who didn’t see eye-to-eye with his star
big man, inexplicably benching him late in games. Other stars would have ranted to the media
and made trade demands on a daily basis, but for the most part Gasol stayed
silent and stoically did his job. He gave
the Lakers his all year in and year out while chaos swirled around him. It’s safe to say that no one could have
handled the situation as well as he did.
That brings us to today.
While D’Antoni is gone the damage has already been done. The Lakers were somehow unable (or unwilling)
to find a suitable trade for Gasol in the three years since the Chris Paul
theft and have also been unsuccessful in their efforts to bring the team back
to their traditional status as a contender.
Gasol suffered through the worst season in Lakers history last year while
best friend Kobe Bryant was plagued with injuries. Given all that had happened since that
remarkable day in 2008 when Pau came to LA it seemed as though his departure
was inevitable.
Last summer the Lakers made the enormous, crippling mistake
of allowing Dwight Howard to become a free agent rather than trade him at the
deadline when it was clear that he wouldn’t be returning. Their stubbornness resulted in Howard running
away to the Houston Rockets, leaving the once-great franchise with
nothing. Unfortunately this disaster was
not enough to teach the front office their lesson about free agents.
The Lakers compounded the Dwight problem by making the same mistake with Pau this summer. They allowed him
to become a free agent even while knowing that his return was doubtful. Yesterday, in a moment that Laker fans feared
was coming, Pau made the decision to leave in search of another shot at a
championship, signing with the Chicago Bulls in the laughably weak Eastern
Conference.
I’m genuinely happy for Pau, yet saddened at the same
time. Laker management should have never
allowed a situation like this to occur. They
should have put a team in place that would allow the Lakers to contend, thus
allowing Pau to be in a position to finish his playing days in the Golden Armor alongside
Kobe. It’s only fitting that those two,
now forever linked in basketball history, should leave the court for the last
time together, as teammates.
Instead, incompetence has robbed Gasol, Kobe, and the fans
of that moment. In the space of a year
the team has watched two of the top big men of the last decade walk out the
door without receiving any compensation in return. For the franchise this is a failure of colossal
proportions. For Pau, Kobe, and Laker
fans it’s an absolute tragedy.
The Lakers have now become a cautionary tale and teams are
increasingly wary of taking on star players with expiring contracts. In the absence of a contending team the Lakers
should have been able to at least do right by Gasol and trade him to a franchise
that has a shot at winning while receiving something in return for their star,
something to help soften the blow to the fans. But that didn't happen. Now the Lakers face an uncertain future and can only wish Pau the best in Chicago.
Regardless of the tragic ending Pau Gasol will always hold a
special place in the hearts of Laker fans.
Throughout all the chaos and upheaval over the past few years Pau has
been the constant, the stable rock anchoring the team. Seeing him in a Bulls uniform is never going
to seem quite right. At some point the Lakers will turn things around. They will be back, but it will never be the same as those magical days when Pau and Kobe, opposites in so many ways, ruled the NBA.
In our lifetime we have so few moments that stand out as
truly unforgettable. Some are felt by
the entire world, some by a nation, and some by only an individual.
Still others impact a group, even a diverse, unconventional group
brought together by something as irrational as an obsession for a basketball
team.
Pau helped bring the Lakers 2 Championships and countless amazing
memories. Someday his jersey will be in
the rafters at Staples Center where it belongs.
As the years go by and the players from this generation of Lakers
slip into history it is safe to say that Pau and his contributions will not be
forgotten. What he accomplished with his counterpoint, Kobe Bryant, can never be taken away.
At the end you have to think about the beginning. Through
all the ups and downs one thing has never changed: I remember where I was when
Pau Gasol became a Laker. It was the
moment that pushed the Lakers to greatness, a moment in which the endless possibilities of the future captivated our imaginations, a moment where the impossible was possible, and a moment that we will be
forever attempting to recapture.
For more Lakers news follow me on twitter @16ringsNBA
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