Kobe to Pau: "Let's Win a Championship Togehter"
Posted: Mon Feb 4, 2008 9:35 am
Interview with Pau Gasol getting a call from Kobe, winning a championship, & living in LA - LINK:
(Sorry but this was translated as best as possible from Spanish):
Man, Kobe's so straight forward. No beating around the bush. Love it!
(Sorry but this was translated as best as possible from Spanish):
Kobe Bryant calls Pau to personally welcome him to his new Laker team, and to declare his desire to win a championship ring together.
Since already the differences are noted; we listened to Pau speaking with the LA doctors while we see his first x-rays:
- Is all well? - asks Pau.
- Yes! All well, perfect! - the doctors answer him in clearly Spanish.
Q: Pau, the first thing to congratulate you, we imagine that this is happy and joyous; in Spain the news is having an enormous echo everywhere all throughout the media. Playing in the Lakers is the maximum wish that you can ask for?
Pau: Yes, I am in a cloud. For me is very important, there is no doubt that Lakers is a franchise leader, historic. I am very flattered to be able to be part of the team, very excited, with desires to begin to be already with the team and to adapt me to my new situation. Overnight I have passed to be in a complicated, difficult situation, to an almost superb situation in being traded to the Lakers.
Q: Kobe is delighted with your acquisition. How is your personal relation? It was seen that you had friendship in the All Star two years ago.
Pau: The two of us respect each other as players and we have a good relation, nothing beyond to have spoken as many times but I suppose that now being teammates we will be more intense and deep. This very day Kobe has telephoned me to welcome me, and to tell me hope that we will win the championship ring together. We will treat to form a tandem to help the team rise to become a lot better.
Q: Interior Play of the Lakers with Odom and Bynum, which do you believe that will be your role?
Pau: I expect that of mine be important, I see the post very well, it is a system of play in which I enter almost to perfection. I want to accustom them to me, to feel me comfortable and to do better for my teammates.
Q: The aspirations of now: Pass rounds of the playoffs or title?
Pau: For the time being it is to obtain the best record, the major number of victories. We are in a very good situation to obtain the best position for the play-offs; one must take each game as vital, in the current situation a victory can mark the differences in the final positioning. Once we are in the play-offs, therefore one must continue playing equal, game to game with a lot of conviction and a lot of confidence. We have a great staff and aspirations to all.
Q: You believe to continue in your numbers in the city of Angels?
Pau: It is not something that worries me now, the first thing that worries me is adapting and adjusting to the situation of the team as soon as possible. I am not going to worry about myself relating to me as the individual, all is going to be based on to obtain victories and to improve my team. Then I will find ways to produce and to contribute to the full maximum.
Q: You leave Memphis, what would you say about your years in Memphis?
Pau: A part of me this sad one on a personal level by leaving behind a series of friends and companions for many years. We have passed together, important moments we have given all and tried every situation to do better; at times we have obtained it and, in other moments we didn't. Always I will have a place in my heart for the city of Memphis that has given me 6 years and a half of life, contributing a lot to me as the person and of course a player.
Q: The back injury, how is it?
Pau: The back is better, I have had inconveniences that have set me back the last few games, but it already has advanced healing enough and in a couple of days I will be in great condition.
Q: When is your official press release?
Pau: It has to be set still, during the next 10 days we will do something. We have a series of 7 games on the road and one must be already centered in the results. But maybe some press may be done while we are in Washington.
Q: To Live in LA how do you believe that is going to be the change?
Pau: It's going to be different but I don't know yet, how my life is going to be here, I imagine that very good. Los Angeles is a great city and here has all more importance, everything in this city is big exaggerated.
Man, Kobe's so straight forward. No beating around the bush. Love it!
I love these guys!!