Pau Gasol thanks Los Angeles Lakers, fans with classy letter

For seven years, Pau Gasol was a fixture of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. But on Saturday, understanding the Lakers were in a re-building phase, Gasol decided to join the Chicago Bulls where he hopes to compete for another NBA title.

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But changing teams doesn’t mean that the Lakers organization, city nor the fans haven’t left an impression on the All-Star big man. Posting a letter on his website, Pau Gasol thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers franchise and the fans for all of their support and recounted found memories the two shared during his tenure in the City of Angels.

Via a rough translation, here is a portion of Gasol’s classy departing letter.

"…I am also happy to have played in a franchise with one of the best owners in all of sports, the Buss family.…Leaving Los Angeles, a city I love and a place where I have established many friendships and relationships, it has been a very difficult decision for me. My intention, despite my farewell is to stay connected to the community of Los Angeles, you always feel like home."

In addition, Gasol also gave praise to both Kobe Bryant (suggesting it was an honor to play alongside him) and Phil Jackson as well.

The big man has always been an extremely classy player, both on and off the court so it shouldn’t exactly be shocking that he took the time out to thank his former franchise and those who supported him. Still, very cool that he did.

As for his new team, Pau Gasol said he hopes to help bring the Chicago Bulls closer to title contention and to actively participate in the community of Chicago.

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