Pau Gasol discussed his personal experience and the privilege of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame during the press briefing conducted on the day prior to their formal induction ceremony.
“When I came to the US, there were high expectations,” Gasol said. “I just wanted to make my country proud. You don’t start playing basketball when you have already made it. You don’t say, ‘I want to be a Hall of Famer.’ You try to be the best you can be, be a great teammate, win championships. If you do that, everything falls into place.”
Gasol’s proud to stand alongside fellow Europeans and share this special moment with Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker.
“This class is an incredible accomplishment for European basketball and for international basketball as well. The game has grown so much since we first started playing in the NBA. We can be very proud of having taken the international game to a higher level and very proud of seeing how current players are taking it to the next level. It’s very special to share this moment with Dirk and Tony.
“It’s remarkable, something that was unthinkable not too long ago. It’s beautiful to share the message that things are possible, things do change and improve, things are exciting, and allow any kid, boy or girl, to dream that they can do it too. That’s the exciting part for me.”
