Marc Gasol facts for kids
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Gasol with Girona in 2022
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| Bàsquet Girona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 January 1985 Barcelona, Spain |
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| High school | Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tennessee) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2007 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2003–2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Liga ACB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | CB Girona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2019 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Bàsquet Girona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 12,514 (14.0 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 6,604 (7.4 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,996 (3.4 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Marc Gasol Sáez is a famous Spanish former professional basketball player. He was born on January 29, 1985. Marc played as a center, which is usually the tallest player on a basketball team.
He was a three-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Marc was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA draft. Later, his rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He played for the Grizzlies for many years before joining the Toronto Raptors. He also played for the Lakers again in 2020.
Besides his NBA career, Marc was a key player for the Spanish national team. He won two silver medals at the Olympics and two FIBA Basketball World Cup titles. He also earned several medals at the EuroBasket tournaments. After retiring from playing, he became the president of Bàsquet Girona, a basketball club in Spain.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Marc Gasol grew up in Barcelona, Spain. In 2001, when he was a teenager, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. This move happened because his older brother, Pau Gasol, joined the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team.
Marc played high school basketball at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. People sometimes called him "The Big Burrito." In 2003, during his final year, he was named Division 2's Mr. Basketball. He averaged 26 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks per game that season. In 2008, Lausanne honored Marc by retiring his number 33 jersey.
Professional Basketball Journey
After finishing high school, Marc Gasol went back to Spain to start his professional basketball career.
Playing in Spain (2003–2008)
Marc began playing in the Liga ACB, Spain's top basketball league, for FC Barcelona in 2003. After three seasons, he moved to CB Girona in 2006. In 2008, he was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the ACB league.
Time with the Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2019)
Marc was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. However, in 2008, his draft rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. This trade was part of a bigger deal that sent his brother, Pau Gasol, to the Lakers. Marc officially joined the Grizzlies in July 2008.
As a rookie, Marc set a team record for how well he shot the ball, making 53% of his shots. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his first three seasons, he led the Grizzlies in shooting accuracy and blocked shots.
Becoming an All-Star and Defensive Star
In 2011, Marc signed a new contract with the Grizzlies. In February 2012, he was chosen to be an NBA All-Star for the first time. This meant he was one of the best players in the Western Conference.
The 2012–13 season was a big one for Marc. He was one of only a few players to average at least 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He was a key part of the Grizzlies' defense, which allowed the fewest points per game in the league. In April 2013, Marc was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first Grizzlies player, first Spanish player, and first European player to win this award. This award showed how important he was to his team's defense.
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Later Years with Memphis
In the 2014–15 season, Marc was chosen as an NBA All-Star again, this time as a starter. He also made the All-NBA First Team, which means he was considered one of the top five players in the entire league. He had his best scoring season, averaging 17.4 points per game.
In July 2015, Marc signed a large five-year contract with the Grizzlies. In November 2015, he achieved his first career triple-double. A triple-double means a player gets double-digit numbers in three different stats, like points, rebounds, and assists, in one game.
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In December 2016, Marc recorded his second triple-double. He also scored a career-high 42 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors in January 2017. A day later, he was named an NBA All-Star for the third time.
In December 2017, Marc reached 10,000 career points, a huge milestone. In February 2018, he played his 700th NBA game, setting a new record for the most games started in Grizzlies history. In November 2018, he became the Grizzlies' all-time leader in rebounds.
Winning a Championship with the Toronto Raptors (2019–2020)
On February 7, 2019, Marc Gasol was traded to the Toronto Raptors. He quickly became the starting center for the Raptors. His ability to pass the ball helped the team become one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA.
Marc helped the Raptors reach the 2019 NBA Finals. In his first NBA Finals game, he scored 20 points. The Raptors went on to defeat the Golden State Warriors in six games, and Marc won his first NBA championship! This was a special moment because his older brother, Pau, had also won two NBA titles. They became the first brothers to both win NBA championships.
Short Time with the Los Angeles Lakers (2020–2021)
In November 2020, Marc Gasol signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played 52 games for them, starting 42 of them. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Lakers made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round. In September 2021, Marc was traded back to the Memphis Grizzlies, but he was waived (released) by them a few days later.
Playing for Bàsquet Girona (2021–2023)
In November 2021, Marc announced he would play for Bàsquet Girona in Spain. This was a special move because he had founded the club himself! He helped the team get promoted to the top Spanish league, Liga ACB, for the first time. In the final promotion game, Marc scored 11 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and had 4 steals.
Marc Gasol officially announced his retirement from playing basketball on January 31, 2024.
Playing for Spain's National Team
Marc Gasol was a very important player for the Spanish national team for many years.
- In 2006, he helped Spain win the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.
- He won silver medals at the EuroBasket 2007, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- He won two more gold medals at the EuroBasket 2009 and EuroBasket 2011.
- In 2019, he won his second FIBA Basketball World Cup title with Spain in China. In the final game against Argentina, he scored 14 points and had 7 assists. He was named to the World Cup All-Star Team.
- Marc became only the second player ever to win an NBA championship and a World Cup in the same year!
After the 2020 Summer Olympics, Marc and his brother Pau announced they were retiring from the Spanish national team. This marked the end of a very successful era for Spanish basketball.
Awards and Achievements
In the US / Canada
- Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division 2 "Mr. Basketball" (2003)
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2009)
- 3× NBA All-Star (2012, 2015, 2017)
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (2013)
- All-NBA Second Team (2013)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2013)
- All-NBA First Team (2015)
- NBA champion (2019)
In Spain
- Spanish ACB League Champion (2004)
- Spanish Supercup Winner (2004)
- FIBA EuroChallenge Champion (2007)
- Catalan Tournament Champion (2007)
- Spanish ACB League MVP (2008)
- All-Spanish ACB League Team (2008)
European Player of the Year awards
- Euroscar (2014)
With the Spanish National Team
- 2006 FIBA World Championship: Gold medal
- EuroBasket 2007: Silver medal
- 2008 Summer Olympics: Silver medal
- EuroBasket 2009: Gold medal
- EuroBasket 2011: Gold medal
- 2012 Summer Olympics: Silver medal
- EuroBasket 2013: Bronze medal
- 2013 EuroBasket All-Tournament Team
- EuroBasket 2017: Bronze medal
- 2019 FIBA World Championship: Gold medal
- 2019 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team
See also
In Spanish: Marc Gasol para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
- Bàsquet Girona, basketball club founded by Marc Gasol
