Some of the very best basketball players ever came from Europe. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki, Aryydas Sabonis, and Victor Wembanyama all started their professional basketball careers in Europe. And yet, if you ask Jusuf Nurkic who he believes the best one is, his pick would be Pau Gasol.
While talking with Simply British Ballers, Nurkic revealed he would take Pau Gasol over every single European big man, including Antetokounmpo, Nowitzki, Jokic, Sabonis, Wembanyama, Domantas Sabonis, Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, and Pau's brother, Marc Gasol. In the middle of his interview, he said, "See, you're gonna get me in trouble."
(Fun fact: Nurkic and Gasol were set to be teammates in Portland for the 2019-20 season before Gasol's foot surgery nixed it)
Now, before everyone thinks he's talking about strictly the NBA, Gasol was also very accomplished in overseas, having won 11 medals in FIBA, the Olympics, and EuroBasket. Combine that with two NBA titles, and it's clear Gasol is arguably the most successful European big man in history. Even if some of the names went on to have better NBA legacies, they weren't as accomplished overseas as Gasol was.
That doesn't mean he was better as a basketball players overall than some of those other players, but people shouldn't sneeze at how he compares to them. It is undeniable how good Gasol was when he was at the top of his game, and the Jazz are one of the teams that know that better than anyone.
Gasol was an established Jazz enemy from 2008 to 2010
Any Jazz fan remembers their rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2008 to 2010, during which the two teams faced off in the playoffs every consecutive year in that span. While Kobe Bryant may have been the shining star in that series because he's Kobe, Gasol definitely did his fair share of the damage when the Lakers eliminated the Jazz all three years.
Every year, he was consistent in being a thorn in the Jazz's side.
-Gasol's numbers vs. Utah in 2008: 18.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and three blocks a game while shooting 56% from the field.
-In 2009: 18.4 points, nine rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks a game while shooting 58.6% from the field.
-In 2010: 23.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.8 blocks a game while shooting 60.7% from the field.
Gasol may not have been the Lakers' alpha dog, but he thrived in his second-in-command role beside Kobe. In so doing, he was definitely a Jazz enemy.