Real Madrid's first nightmare with Pau Gasol

BarcelonaAlthough he had been playing for the Barça first team for months, Pau Gasol rose to prominence on March 18, 2001, when he led Barça to the Copa del Rey title in Málaga. Twenty-five years after that iconic victory against Real Madrid, Nacho Rodríguez and Joan Montes relive that historic moment.

"That Copa del Rey tournament foreshadowed Gasol's subsequent career. He was a game-changer and a game-changer. Despite his youth, he demonstrated great self-confidence. His standout performance came against Sergio Scariolo's Real Madrid, and he took on a major role," explains Nacho Rodríguez. The 20-year-old Catalan, who tallied 25 points and 6 rebounds, ultimately frustrated Real Madrid's defense, which fouled him 8 times.

"Pau Gasol was a kid who never looked for trouble, and that allowed him to get along very well with his more veteran teammates. Roberto Dueñas, for example, treated him very well because he benefited from his passes. He was open, and the chemistry with the team was very good. When the schedule allowed, after some games, they would even come out of Juan's shoes, and he was a key person in Gasol's development."

The Barça dressing room boasted players of the caliber of Sarunas Jasikevicius and Arturas Karnisovas, but Gasol fit in perfectly from day one. "Pau's relationship with the more established players was excellent. One of the keys to that team's success was that we spent a lot of time together off the court. This helped us create great chemistry. Both he and Juan Carlos Navarro made a great first impression on the group. They already had immense confidence in their abilities. The veterans tried to keep him grounded, but his personal and sporting conduct was outstanding. He accepted any advice we gave him," says Rodríguez.

Pau Gasol had already played some great games, but his teammates didn't yet foresee the evolution he would undergo in the future. "We could see he was a different kind of player. He was 7'1" and very thin. We could see he was a different kind of player, capable of bringing the ball up the court when it came to shooting three-pointers. Now we see it in more players, but back then it wasn't common. Nobody expected him to be such a decisive player, but we could already see it."

A few months before that Cup, Barça terminated the contract of Rony Seikaly, their big-name signing. "He wasn't in the form we expected. What many people don't remember is that Barça looked for a replacement. Some deals seemed done, but in the end they fell through. When they saw the confidence with which Pau Gasol could play, everything changed," Montes summarizes.

“We were sure Pau would make the most of his playing time. When he became a starter, his confidence grew significantly, and he proved to be a game-changer,” says Montes, who had known Pau for years. “Gasol did things differently even as a child. At Barça B, he was already capable of spectacular plays, but no one could have imagined the progression he would later experience. Not even he himself. He had unique qualities and was very intelligent. His character enhanced his abilities,” Montes notes.

Studies, key

Aíto García Reneses played a crucial role in refining Pau Gasol's game. "He talked to Pau a lot and made sure he prioritized his studies and participated in many cultural activities. If we traveled to Burgos, for example, he made him visit the cathedral. On the court, he corrected specific details," Rodríguez summarizes.