Pau Gasol Officially Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame

Pau Gasol has officially entered the Hall…

The 43-year-old Spanish former professional basketball player, a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, has been enshrined into Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker during a ceremony held at Symphony Hall on Saturday.

Pau GasolGasol shouted out his national team — “mi familia” — before joining what might be the greatest international class of inductees in the Springfield shrine’s history.

“I want to give a special mention to those first Europeans, who came here, across the ocean, who took a chance,” said Gasol, who fell in love with the sport when the 1992 Olympic Games were held in his hometown, Barcelona. “I was 12. It changed my life. The Dream Team showed us how basketball could be played.”

In 2002, Gasol was the NBA‘s first international rookie of the year.

Gasol played his last two healthy seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

Gasol thanked the late Kobe Bryant, his teammate on two Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship teams, who died in a 2020 helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

 

“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother,” Gasol said. “I wish more than anything that you and Gigi were here today with us. I miss you and love you.”

The inductees received their Hall of Fame rings and jackets Friday at a news conference.

Carmelo Anthony Officially Announces Retirement from NBA

It’s the end of an era for Carmelo Anthony

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, has announced his retirement.

Carmelo AnthonyAnthony, who was not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history.

Only LeBron JamesKareem Abdul-JabbarKarl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk NowitzkiWilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scored more than Anthony, who finishes his career with 28,289 points.

“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” Anthony said in a videotaped message announcing his decision — one he called “bittersweet.”

Anthony’s legacy has long been secure: He ends his playing days after being selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a 10-time NBA All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection.

And while he never got to the NBA Finals — he only played in the conference finals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 — Anthony also knew what it was like to be a champion.

He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led Syracuse to the national championship, and he helped the U.S. win Olympic gold three times — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

His college coach at Syracuse, the now-retired Jim Boeheim, tweeted a “welcome to retirement” message to his former star.

“I am honored to have been a part of your legendary career, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for you,” Boeheim wrote.

Anthony played in 31 games in four appearances at the Olympics, the most of any U.S. men’s player ever. Anthony’s 37 points against Nigeria in the 2012 games is a USA Basketball men’s record at an Olympics, as are his 10 3-pointers from that game and his 13-for-13 effort from the foul line against Argentina in 2008.

“Carmelo Anthony is one of the NBA’s all-time great players and ambassadors,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “We congratulate him on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing him in the Hall of Fame.”

Anthony will remain part of international basketball for at least a few more months; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World Cup, FIBA‘s biggest event, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

“I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,” Anthony said. “But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by Denver in 2003, part of the star-studded class that included James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4 and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade — he gets officially enshrined this summer — at No. 5.

Anthony will join them at the Hall of Fame before long — the Hall of Fame said he will be eligible for the 2026 class. He averaged 22.5 points in his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden, especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.

He was the NBA’s leading scorer with 28.7 points per game in 2012-13, when the Knicks won 54 games and the Atlantic Division title.

“The Garden,” Anthony said in 2014. “They call it The Mecca for a reason.”

Anthony spent his first 7½ NBA seasons in Denver, becoming the third-leading scorer in franchise history. His Nuggets teams had seven consecutive winning seasons and earned seven playoff berths, but they advanced in the postseason just once, ending in that six-game conference finals loss to the Lakers in 2009.

“He wore that Nuggets jersey with pride and did a lot of great things while in a Denver Nuggets uniform, as well as all the other uniforms he wore in an illustrious career,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday before Denver faced the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, hoping to clinch the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance. “When you think of Carmelo, you think of one of the more elite scorers in NBA history, a guy that from the D.C. metro area goes to Syracuse and wins a championship and comes into the NBA and was just a bucket-getter from day one.”

Anthony also played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his career with the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and now his retirement is official.

He said in his retirement address that he’s looking forward to watching the development of his son Kiyan, a highly rated high school shooting guard.

“People ask what I believe my legacy is,” Anthony said. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”

Pau Gasol Among the Finalists for 2023 Class of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Pau Gasol is joining the class…

The 42-year-old Spanish former professional basketball player is among the list of finalists for the 2023 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was revealed on Friday as part of NBA All-Star weekend.

Pau GasolGasol, a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, appears on a roster of finalists that includes Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and Gregg Popovich.

“I love the class,” Jerry Colangelo, chairman for the Hall of Fame, said in a news conference. “I think this is a loaded class. … I think this is unique in that we have a lot of first time people and it’s unusual when somebody makes it on the first ballot. But this is going to be that unique of class. Because there could be four or five first timers. So, I’m very excited about it.”

Gasol won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist for Spain.

Other player finalists include former San Antonio Spurs point guard and 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker; Becky Hammon, a six-time All-Star in her WNBA career; and Jennifer Azzi, a collegiate national champion at Stanford, an Olympic gold medalist for USA Basketball in 1996 and a five-year WNBA veteran.

Other coaching finalists included Purdue men’s basketball all-time wins leader Gene Keady; Marian Washington, who amassed 560 wins in 31 years coaching the University of Kansas women’s team; Gary Blair, who led Texas A&M to the women’s championship in 2011; Gene Bess, who won 1,300 games and two national championships with Three Rivers Community College; and David Hixon, who won 826 games in 42 years at Amherst College.

The inductees for the August ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be announced as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities in Houston in April.

Induction is determined through voting conducted by an honors committee comprised of 24 members. A finalist must receive a minimum of 18 votes from the committee to earn entrance to the Hall.

Gasol was present for the news conference and sat in the front row next to Wade while NBA TV‘s Matt Winer hosted the event.

“As Kobe said at one point, ‘It’s really about the journey,'” Gasol said. “These types of recognitions, which are an amazing honor, they come along when you do things very, very well for a long time. And when you love what you do.”

Carmelo Anthony’s ‘Creative 7’ to Produce Four-Part Docuseries “Seven” About the NBA All-Star

Carmelo Anthony’s life is headed to the small screen…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player has teamed up with Westbrook Studios and Falkon Entertainment on Seven, a four-part docuseries, which Anthony’s company Creative 7 will also produce.

Carmelo AnthonyNamed after Anthony’s signature jersey, Seven will chronicle the life and career of the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, starting with his childhood, diving into the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly experiences and learnings that shaped him into the man and the athlete that he is today.

Seven promises to reveal the truth behind notable moments throughout Anthony’s career, many of which he has never spoken about publicly before. The series will also take an introspective look at his life and who he is today — at practice, after games, with his family — through the lens of what it means to be an athlete, a celebrity, and most importantly, a human being.

Anthony and his long-time business partner Asani Swann will executive produce the project via their Creative 7 production company alongside Terence Carter and Sahara Bushue for Westbrook Studios, and Dexton Deboree and Wondwossen Dikran on behalf of Falkon Entertainment.

“The biggest question everyone is probably thinking is – why now? Why choose this moment to tell my story? The short of it is I’ve spent enough time letting other people speak for me. It’s time for my truth,” said Anthony. “I look forward to viewers finally having the opportunity to hear about my journey in my own words. Westbrook Studios, Falkon Entertainment and my team at Creative 7 have been immensely supportive of my vision for this project and I am proud that we have been able to make this series a reality.”

Anthony’s career highlights to date include him being a three-time Olympic gold medalist, ninth on the NBA all-time scorer list and one of the NBA’s top 75 players in history. He has played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Nicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers and, most recently the Los Angeles Lakers.

Off the court, Anthony has been focused on his other brands, business ventures, and philanthropic efforts and he also has been a leading voice in the ongoing fight for social justice.

Carmelo Anthony Agrees to One-Year Deal with Los Angeles Lakers

Carmelo Anthony is ready to play ball in LA…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, a recent free-agent forward, has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony’s manager, Bay Frazier, tells ESPN.

Carmelo Anthony

The deal is for one season, according to Frazier. Anthony’s agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports, completed the agreement with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Tuesday.

Anthony, who moved up to No. 10 on the NBA‘s career scoring list last season, rehabbed his career in two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers after being out of the league for a year following an ill-fated stint with the Houston Rockets.

The 18-year veteran flourished in a bench role with the Blazers last season, averaging 13.4 points in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting a career-best 40.9% from 3.

Anthony entered into the league with LeBron James in the famed 2003 draft class, and the two have maintained a close friendship.

Anthony has earned more than $260 million in salary in his career and is a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Success has eluded him on the postseason stage, though. In 13 career playoff appearances, Anthony’s teams have made the conference finals just once, and he has yet to play in the NBA Finals.

After being traded by the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, Anthony had an up-and-down season with the Thunder as the team failed to meet expectations. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks the next offseason, then immediately waived.

He signed with the Rockets, agreeing to play a long-anticipated bench role for the contenders led by James Harden and Chris Paul, but was waived after just 10 games. Anthony wasn’t signed by another team that season, casting doubt on the future of his NBA career.

A surefire future Hall of Famer, Anthony currently sits at 27,370 points, just 39 points behind Moses Malone for ninth.

Pau Gasol’s Bid to Make the Olympics Following a Lengthy Injury to be Focus of New Docuseries

Pau Gasol’s story is getting the Hollywood treatment…

The 40-year-old former NBA star’s bid to make the Olympics after a lengthy injury lay off will be the focus of an upcoming docuseries.

Pau Gasol

The untitled series chronicles Gasol, the two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and six-time NBA All-Star, as he winds down his professional career.

Gasol’s last NBA game was in March 2019. In May of that year, he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot and has been working to get back on the court ever since.

In February, Gasol re-signed with FC Barcelona—where his professional career began more than 20 years ago—as he prepares to chase an elusive Olympic gold medal at the COVID-19 postponed 2020 Tokyo Games this summer.

The series will show how an elite athlete says goodbye to the game they know and love, battling through the physical scars, emotional challenges, personal legacy, as well as deal with new family commitments.

The four-episode documentary is directed by Oriol Bosch and produced by PG Productions, RTG Features and THINK450, the content and partnership engine of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Talking heads include legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson.

The series, which has been in production since 2019, is slated to release in 2021.

Worldwide rights minus Spain (Amazon swooped on those earlier this year) are currently available with U.S.-based RTG Features handling sales.

 

Bad Bunny Releases Kobe Bryant Tribute Single “6 Rings”

Bad Bunny is honoring Kobe Bryant through music…

The 25-year-oldPuerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer paid tribute to the former Los Angeles Lakersshooting guard who passed away Sunday morning by releasing a new single, “6 Rings.”

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny took to Instagramto share part of the audio of the melancholic track in which he sings, “I still remember the first game of yours I witnessed, the excitement and the many times you got me on my feet … You showed me that everything in life is done with passion. To win, you have to have a heart.”

Bad Bunny released the track a day after Bryant — a five-time NBAchampion — his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

The six rings Bad Bunny refers to in the song are Bryant’s five championship rings plus his marriage ring. 

“Congratulations, you also won 6 rings … Five in the NBA, a marriage that gave you your daughters. Thinking that one left with you makes me lose control, but, nah it’s for you to have someone play with in heaven,” sings Bad Bunny. 

Before releasing the track, Bad Bunny paid respects to Bryant in a heartfelt Instagram post, saying “I would never have imagined that this would hurt me so much! I still remember the first time I saw a basketball game, at age 7 with my dad, and it was a game of this genius. From that day on he became my favorite player forever!! I have never mentioned it because it does not necessarily have to do with music, but this man has been an inspiration in many ways for me to be what I am today.”

Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three other daughters. 

Marc Gasol Makes History While Leading Spain to FIBA World Cup Championship

Marc Gasol is celebrating a rare feat…

The 34-year-old Spanish professional basketball player got to bask in a championship celebration for the second time in three months — and this time, he did it for his country. Tournament MVP Ricky Rubio scored 20 points, Sergio Llull added 15 and Spain won the FIBA World Cup for the second time by topping Argentina 95-75 on Sunday.

Marc Gasol

“We weren’t the most talented team,” Rubio said. “We weren’t the bigger team. Put anything you want, but we were the team with the biggest heart and we showed it tonight and we showed it during the whole tournament.”

Gasol scored 14 for the winners, who never trailed and added this crown to the one they claimed in 2006. And for him, 2019 will go down as a year the likes of which few others have enjoyed.

The Toronto Raptors center becomes the second player to win an NBA title and a FIBA world gold medal in the same year, joining Lamar Odom — who did it for the Los Angeles Lakers and USA Basketball in 2010. Gasol also became the 19th player to win either an NBA or WNBA crown along with a gold medal, either of the Olympic or World Cup variety, in the same year.

The first 18 all did it for the U.S.

This time, vamos Espana!

“NBA champion and a World Cup champion as well,” Gasol said. “What can I say? How does it sound to you? I feel very fortunate to be in this position and be able to play this game and help these guys be part of history of Spanish basketball.”

Llull and Rudy Fernandez — the team captain, who initially got to accept the Naismith Trophy — went to cut down the nets shortly after the final buzzer. Gasol carried the game ball to the gold-medal ceremony, and Spanish fans wept in the stands during the national anthem.

Gabriel Deck scored 24 points for Argentina (8-1), which got off to a slow start and played uphill the rest of the way. Luis Scola was held to eight points, shooting 1-for-10 from the floor.

“We’re sad right now. We’re very sad,” Scola said. “But I feel confident, in hours, we’ll be able to look back and be very proud. They just played better than us. They were better. They deserved to win. They were the better team in the game and the tournament.”

Spain led 43-31 at intermission, after putting together a 14-2 run to open the game and a 17-1 run later in the half.

“This is basketball,” Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. “If you play better than the other team, you win the game. And Spain was the best team today.”

Scola, who at 39 years old was still Argentina’s best player throughout the tournament, didn’t get on the score sheet until he made a pair of free throws with 2:57 left in the third quarter. But they only cut Spain’s lead to 19, and by then the Argentinian fans who stood, sang and chanted for much of the game were relatively quiet.

The day belonged to Spain.

And the year belongs to Gasol.

“It’s unbelievable,” Gasol said.

Joining Rubio on the all-tournament team were Gasol, Scola, France’s Evan Fournier and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Pau Gasol Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Portland Trail Blazers

Pau Gasol will be blazing a new trail

The 39-year-old Spanish professional basketball player has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN.

Pau Gasol

Gasol joins a reshaped Trail Blazers roster that’s prepared to make a run at a return to the Western Conferencefinals — and perhaps beyond.

On Twitter, Gasol said he’s enthused to join the Blazers.

“I’m very excited to announce that next season (my 19th in the @NBA) I’ll play for the @trailblazers,” he tweeted, adding, “Ready and happy to join one of the best teams in the league!”

Gasol will be added to a center rotation that includes Hassan WhitesideZach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic — once Nurkic returns from a serious leg injury.

Portland had success with a center rotation that included Enes Kanter late last season and into the playoffs. Kanter signed with the Boston Celtics this summer.

Gasol brings the résumé of a future Hall of Famer as compiled across 18 NBA seasons, including two championships and six All-Starappearances.

He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after a buyout with the San Antonio Spurslast season but played only three games with Milwaukee before a season-ending foot injury. 

Gasol finished the campaign having played just 30 games, averaging a career-low 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Gasol discussed a free-agent deal with the Blazers in 2016 before signing with San Antonio.

He also has played with the Memphis GrizzliesLos Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, and he had an outstanding FIBAcareer with the Spanish national team.