“He’s not Kareem, he’s not Magic… Most teams though, find four guys as good as Pau” - Max Kellerman believes Pau Gasol was underrated because of the iconic players who played for the Lakers before him

The LA Lakers have announced that they will retire Pau Gasol’s jersey on March 7, 2023. LA will play against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that drafted him, on that day.

Gasol’s jersey will be in illustrious company alongside Laker greats such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Despite the honor, some fans still feel like the two-time champ’s greatness has been overshadowed by the legendary former players of the LA Lakers. Max Kellerman, on the "Keyshawn, JWill and Max" podcast, wondered what Gasol’s career would have looked like outside of Hollywood:

“The problem with the Lakers is that you can do two Mt. Rushmores and still be like, ‘Man, we’re leaving so many people out.’ Pau has no case to be on Mt. Rushmore for the Lakers, but on another franchise, he might be.”

He continued:

“For the Lakers, you’re like 'he’s not Kareem, he’s not Magic, he’s not Kobe, he’s not Shaq, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West.' Most teams, though, find four guys as good as Pau!”

Pau Gasol arrived in LA in 2007 and promptly helped the Lakers reach three straight NBA Finals and win two championships. An often overlooked aspect of Gasol’s acquisition was how much he calmed down Kobe Bryant, who demanded to be traded during that summer.

Following Shaquille O’Neal’s trade to the Miami Heat, the LA Lakers hardly looked like the most dominating team in the early 2000s. They missed the playoffs immediately after Shaq left and then suffered back-to-back first-round exits in two straight postseasons.

Bryant was so disgusted with the Lakers’ roster construction that he wanted to get out of his misery and play someplace else. However, Gasol’s arrival eventually forced the “Black Mamba” to realize that winning a championship was still the Lakers’ biggest priority.

Gaso, the 2002 Rookie of the Year, gave the Lakers a skilled big man they had’t had since Shaq’s days. More importantly, he allowed Bryant to be the alpha leader while still doing his business and helping the team win.

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Kobe Bryant lauded and appreciated Pau Gasol’s impact in winning championships

Pau Gasol was a big reason why Kobe Bryant added two more NBA titles to his resume.

Kobe Bryant is difficult to play with; just ask Dwight Howard. Yet, somehow, Bryant effortlessly meshed with the skinny but skilled Gasol.

Together, they carried the previously struggling Lakers to three NBA championship rounds. In each of those title-contending series, Gasol was the clear Robin to Bryant’s Batman.

The “Black Mamba” recognized the former Memphis Grizzlies big man's often overlooked greatness and said:

“When Pau retires, he will have his number in the rafters next to mine. The reality is I don’t win those championships without Pau. The city of L.A. doesn’t have those two championships without Pau Gasol. We know that. Everyone knows that.”

All the jerseys that the Lakers have retired have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Pau Gasol could very well be on his way to joining the other Laker greats in the pantheon of basketball greatness.