While Pau Gasol is in the middle of the European basketball championship, he is still looking forward to the upcoming NBA season. He has been leading his home country of Spain to an impressive record thus far in the tournament, as the team’s only loss came on an evening when he was unable to play due to an ankle injury.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times Gasol spoke about his opinions on the lockout as well as new Lakers head coach Mike Brown.
“I have played for many different coaches both in the NBA and in Europe, and I have good fundamentals both defensively and offensively. If there’s more activity, there won’t be a problem at all. The most important thing though is always involving the whole team and getting as much as possible from every player. We have a powerful interior game, and we need to produce at a high level.”
Gasol’s optimism is certainly a positive sign, as the hiring of Mike Brown was one that was met with plenty of skepticism around the league.
The Lakers big man also discussed the lockout, and while he wouldn’t say whether or not he was planning on playing overseas if the league does miss a season, he did sound optimistic.
“I hope [there will be a season]. It’s good for everybody to have an NBA season. I’m optimistic that there will be an agreement and there will be a season, I hope it’s just a matter of time.”
This comes on the heels of a report that the NBA and the player’s association might be closer than they’re letting on. According to NBC Sports Pro Basketball Talk, the owners and the players will meet two times this week, and possibly a third. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
