Pau Gasol talks about the finer points of Opera with Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw. Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
As a free agent this past summer, Pau Gasol was wooed by various teams who were looking to add the talented big man to their roster. Joining forces with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City was quite appealing for Gasol as he would have made the Thunder an even more legit championship contender. Ultimately, Gasol chose to sign with the Chicago Bulls, a choice that is looking more and more each day like the right one, but the main reason he didn’t sign with the Thunder according to Durant was because of the small city vibes of Oklahoma City. There just wasn’t enough arts in OKC for Gasol.
Re: Pau Gasol, Durant says meeting went well but cautioned, "He was more concerned about the city…He’s into, like, orchestras and plays."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) November 3, 2014
Well according to Gasol’s latest blog post on his personal website, Durant was right.
"The biggest change from LA (not talking about basketball) is the weather. But I really can’t complain. I live in downtown, I have the practice court 15 minutes away from home, and everything I need, like a Japanese restaurant (for example), quite close by. I’ve been to the opera and the range of cultural events in Chicago is huge. I don’t know if I should mention this…"
Why shouldn’t you mention it Pau? Be a proud patron of the arts and experience all that Chicago can offer.
The biggest takeaway from this is that Gasol is just a truly honest person. He straight up told Durant that he was looking to live someplace that has a vibrant cultural scene. He wasn’t vague or misleading. This is just another example of Pau Gasol being a great guy.
A great guy that patronizes the arts, no wonder Gasol is universally liked.