Mamba Mentality for the Women's Game: Pau Gasol on carrying a legacy forward
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Ambassador and NBA Champion Pau Gasol is focused on growing world basketball.
Credit: FIBA
A question on many people’s lips prior to the World Cup was why Pau Gasol as the ambassador of the cup. The answer became very clear early in a press conference he delivered prior to the commencement of the semi-finals.
“I’ve taken a few ambassador roles after my playing career with different organisations. This one to me is very meaningful to support women’s sports and basketball. I wanted to follow the mission of Kobe and Gigi [Bryant],”explained Gasol in front of the packed conference room at the Sydney Super Dome.
“I have a daughter myself and I obviously want her to have the same opportunity and same path that any boy would have.”
“I think with more support, infrastructure and more resources in place to be able to support growth – the fans are going to continue to enjoy it more and more.
“Kobe having a daughter like Gigi who loved and played the game – he could see a lot of himself in her. He started coaching and teaching her team and going to their practices – I was able to go to one of their practices and help provide them coaching as well.
“It’s inspired me to get more involved and provide more opportunities in a path forward as they couldn’t see that path like it wasn’t the same for us boys or men. It’s not right and we got to do something about it, and we have to change this.”
Gasol described not only the process for fairness and opportunity for women’s basketball, but also highlighted that the “Mamba” mentality brought him closer to this side of the game and the desire to be involved increased.
“Kobe and I connected intellectually from day one – to a certain degree as his younger brother. I’m just trying to continue what he started and continue his legacy and do what I can.”
Growing the women’s game globally
As a Spanish legend of the sport, Gasol was clear in his focus - the game needed to grow globally, and that also included women’s basketball. As a player that helped Spain rise to the top of of the mountain in men’s basketball, unsurprisingly, he was keen for other nations to catch the dominant USA team and the WNBA players it continues to produce.
“One of the signs we’ve seen is the last four MVPs of the NBA have been international players – the more international players that are in the WNBA playing against those American players going head-to-head means they’ll be getting better because they’re playing against the best every other night - that makes your national teams better.”
It was a refreshing answer, but also requires some reflection and some clear direction from WNBA franchises. A point in case is the fact that some of the franchises have a revolving door of recruiting, cutting, and retaining which shows its heading in the right direction but will need continual support and people speaking up about the opportunity to grow the game.
The Chicago Sky have to their credit had Serbian’s Yvonne Anderson and Tina Krajisnik, Belgium players Emma Meeseman and Julie Allemand, and of course WNBL MVP and now proud to say Opals Bronze medallist Anneli Maley – before she was cut for another player that featured in the World Cup in China centre Li Yueru.
If Gasol’s words are to be heeded, more opportunity for women from countries other than the USA need to be afforded to players for pathways into the WNBA. We’ve seen this best demonstrated by the Australian NBL’s Next Stars initiative for men down under, while also helping players from Asian regions to join rosters to expand the global reach of the game. Why couldn’t something similar be implemented for women in future?
Male athletes can and should do better to promote the game
It was another question that again levered a key answer everyone needed to hear. Gasol’s summary, including how beneficial the return of Lauren Jackson has been and the story of her adjusting to be in the “back-seat” rather than driving it from front - inspiring both girls and boys.
That was only the precursor to the key message about how males involved in the sport can help promote “The Game” and how everyone can build a movement.
“I think you’re seeing it more and more that we aren’t talking about this separation. You see it in the US, and you see it to some extent elsewhere but maybe a little less. There’s a good trend, there’s a line happening, and we have to make sure we take advantage of this, and we create this momentum so that it continues to grow in the right direction.”
“It’s been big brother and little sister – now its brother and sister without that distinction…”
Basketball offers us so much from the athletic play, team game, small ball and post-game – it doesn’t matter who’s playing.
It should be about levelling the playing field and here’s hope that the words of an NBA and international great are heeded and acted upon by leaders of the great game.
