When you’re Pau Gasol, there’s always reason to smile. Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
New Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol stands as a beacon of light in these dark times. Well, his twitter account does, anyway, where Pau shares uplifting quips, bits about the charitable work that he’s doing on a near-hourly basis, how he spends his rare days of leisure and his newest book recommendations. This month, Pau has a personal suggestion — you can now bring Pau Gasol’s daily life into your daily life, coffee table book-style, with Pau Gasol – Life · Vida.
"He sings in the shower, pumps his own gas. He laughs at all his grandmother’s jokes, and fries a perfectly cooked egg. Welcome to the normal life of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star center Pau Gasol. In this one-of-a-kind, behind the scenes book, award-winning photographer Lori Shepler chronicles Pau’s life on and off the court, beginning with the 2010 season. Through sixteen chapters and more than 200 color photographs, Pau gives readers plenty of reasons to see what makes him such a beloved sports figure around the world. Join Pau on his journey and discover what makes him so well-liked off the court. Phil Jackson, one of the greatest basketball coaches in NBA history, and Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, write in the book’s forewords that Pau is not only a gifted athlete; he is a treasured friend, a good brother, and a respected Renaissance man. And in his own words—both English and Spanish—Pau reveals details about his private life, including moments with his family, his values, his philanthropy, his love of music, and much more. He is Pau Gasol. Welcome to his life. * All of Pau’s proceeds from the sales of his book go to the Gasol Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Pau and Marc Gasol to help children around the world lead healthier and more active lives."
via Order Now: Pau Gasol – Life · Vida.
But wait, there’s more! On Monday morning, Pau sat down and signed 10 copies of the book, and it seems those copies will be randomly distributed among those ordered generally from Pau’s website.
I just signed 10 copies of my book "Life Vida" Anyone who orders it by Sept 30th at http://t.co/jlj46itTW4 might receive a signed one!
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) September 22, 2014
Not only can you bring Pau Gasol into your home, then, but you can do so with a chance to garner the man’s signature, which you can then photoshop onto your mortgage to impress the people at the bank.* He’s the home equity Willy Wonka!
*The Friendly Bounce’s lawyers are advising me to advise you that this is inadvisable.