http://www.nba.com/2014/news/07/18/b...s=iref:nbahptsAnd so it is confirmed that the Bulls did some begging on their part. Yes nobody comes to San Antonio because our city is boring and unattractive but c’mon, Spurs have to do at least a little more effort on their part to attract players. I thought the FO was not to blame this time for losing out on Gasol but after reading this article I've changed my mind. Where was Manu with his Spanish tongue? Where was our newly hired Spanish coach to give a phone call to Gasol? Pop reaching out to Gasol? Duncan? Parker? I know it's not Spurs style but don't say the FO is not to blame...
Bulls sign Spaniards Gasol, Mirotic
Posted Jul 18, 2014 3:58 PM - Updated Jul 18, 2014 5:45 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- Pau Gasol talked to Joakim Noah when the Chicago Bulls traveled to Los Angeles to recruit the free-agent center. He spoke with Derrick Rose over the phone, and Mike Dunleavy also reached out to the 7-foot veteran.
What Gasol found was a hungry team in search of a championship, and it was enough to convince the skilled Spaniard to trade the warmth of Southern California for the cold winters of the Windy City.
Gasol and newcomer Nikola Mirotic were at the United Center on Friday for a pair of press conferences announcing their new contracts. The 34-year-old Gasol begins his 14th NBA season with career averages of 18.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, and the 6-10 Mirotic joins the Bulls after a successful final season with Real Madrid.
"It was a gut feeling. I thought Chicago was going to be the best fit for me," Gasol said. "It's a great challenge, but I'm driven by challenge. I look forward to it."
Gasol began his career with Memphis and was traded to Los Angeles in February 2008. He formed a strong bond with Kobe Bryant while helping the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals from 2008-10, winning the le the last two of those years.
Weighing interest from NBA champion San Antonio and Oklahoma City among other teams, Gasol said his conversations with Noah and Rose helped sway him to Chicago. Noah was the league's defensive player of the year last season, and Rose is coming back from a pair of knee injuries which kept the 2011 MVP out for much of the last two seasons.
"How humble they were, I think that's real important to be able to not have big egos, that makes things a lot easier," Gasol said. "Their passion, their hunger as well. They're hungry. They're hungry to win, that's something that I wanted to also come into, to be a part of a hungry team."
That being said, I still think Gasol ed up in his decision and will not win another ring. Gasol would have been rotated into the starting lineup at times when Pop was experimenting, injuries, player slumps, etc. Oh well.
IF the Bulls manage to stay healthy then they are a pretty scary team. Derrick Rose was a nightmare for the Spurs when he was healthy. He's got the quickness of Tony Parker and the athleticism of Dwyane Wade in his prime.
Would have loved to seen Pau with Pop... that being said, I think he was looking for a more cosmopolitan city - and I could see him as grouping SA with the likes of OKC....somewhat of a hick town. No doubt the history and foreign flavor of the Spurs counted favorably against OKC, but Chicago is a big damn city...
Or FO doesn't around or make promises they can't keep. They tell it how it is and if free agents like it they will come, if not, they won't.
If Gasol doesn't know the Spurs are passionate, hungry and humble, he's too stupid to be on the team.
I think the Spurs are not going to bend over backwards for anyone. If a free agent is wanting to play for us the Spurs let their own success and championships do the talking for them. Gasol would have to be from another planet if he doesn't know the Spurs are about winning. That being said he wants to win but he wants to be win in a big market like Chicago supposedly as a "star" and not as a role player off the bench. The Spurs are loaded already and they have more than enough talent to repeat. Chicago is not going anywhere but a first round playoff exit like always.
I get that he's driven by challenge but you also have to know your limits and what you can do or cant.
He'll help the Bulls but he's not going to make them a contender. Rose is simply not going to be the same player anymore. He's going to have to be given lots of rest so dont expect him to play balls out for the entirety of the 82 game regular season.
Thibs is horrible at managing his players. He'll surely overworked Rose and he'll be sidelined again this year most than likely.
Blunder move by Gasol.
Gasol was a questionable fit, anyways, he isn't really worth the Spurs' changing their philosophy and begging for a player to join..they are the most respect organization in the league, it's not like their philosophy has failed them..
Chicago makes by far the most sense for him, good choice for Gasol, tbh..there wasn't a team that could offer him anywhere near what Chicago could, from a fit + winning + priority + money standpoint..
It's a good fit for him, but counting on Rose is pretty lol.
Because winning sucks when you actually have to work for it.
ITT: ing losers wondering why the girl said no to the prom invite.
Get the over it and stop being a bunch of insecure s.
It's a big risk to sign with the Spurs.
What if it doesn't work out?
Can you blame the coach, the organization, the system?
Can you say they'll never win anything the way they operate?
It's a big risk.
I bet if the money had been the same he would have chosen the Spurs over the Bulls.
But as it is, you can only take him for his word. Everything else is conjecture.
that Ostrich-looking got. Gasol had a gut feeling the Bulls would pay him more than the Spurs. That's what this came down to. OF all the teams that gave him a chance to win, the Bulls stepped up and payed him more. They went against their better judgement financially and amnestied Boozer in order to sign Gasol. Hunger? You're 34 years old Pao and the Bulls are DESPERATE - not hungry. They were first round fodder for the Wizards. LOL!! Thinking people would buy his bull .
The Spurs are the NBA champions and they don't need to beg. They have scoreboard.
Marquee players want marquee situations. Regardless how much "teamwork" is lauded in the NBA by players, it's a dog eat dog business environment and none of them want to give their face time to some D league player. That's what they would have to do in SA. A le, boiled down, is just a piece of metal and you won the last game of the season. Millions of dollars and fame on a big stage attracts a lot more talent than the promise of being compe ive in the game.
He's a Spaniard. He doesn't want to mingle with border Mexicans and be considered one. Royal court vs Royal Crown imo.
Yep..people have this perception of Gasol that he's only concerned about winning because he's European, but in reality, he has always cared about getting touches and the limelight, tbh(constant complaints)..
He already has 2 rings, it's not like he's an old veteran that has never tasted victory before
Not only are you a pussy but you're also stupid. You do realize that Chicago is being taken over by Mexicans, right? And I mean border jumping Mexicans. Not Chicanos/Tejanos like you would find in SA.
San Antonio has good things too. No state tax. Sellout crowds. Hot climate during the year. Spurs are the only professional sports team. Duke and Kansas gets top college players to go to smaller market towns. I don't think the city itself has much to do with it.
You are correct sir. According to demographic statistics, of the 1,971,000 Hispanics living in Chicago, 1,561,000 of them are of Mexican descent which comprises 79.2% of the Chicago Hispanic population...
Also
"From the 1990 U.S. Census to the 2000 U.S. Census, the percentage of Mexicans in all ofCook County, Illinois increased by 69%, and the percentage of Mexicans in the City of Chicago in particular increased by 50% in the same time period. As a result, Chicago's number of Mexicans surpassed the number in the cities of Houston and San Antonio, Texas. As of the 2000 Census, 786,000 residents of Cook County, including over 530,000 residents of the City of Chicago, had Mexican origins."
Yeah LA is full of Mexican Hispanics so I figured Pau would be used to that already...
He probably does enjoy the media and playing in a major market, tbh. I see no other reason why he would choose Chicago over SA.
Forget Gasol, I demand to know why Pop didn't get Lebron over here...
As much as Spurs fans would have loved if Pau signed with the Spurs, Pau knows what he's getting himself into if he signs with Spurs. The Spurs system has a tendency to make even star players look lackluster simply because they're a bad fit. Just look at Richard Jefferson.
Personally, if I were Pau and considering it was a two year contract he was looking for (since he signed for a 2 year contract with Bulls), I'm not going to potentially sign for less with the Spurs (Spurs only had MLE to offer) to see MAYBE 10-15 minutes of action every night just to lower my market value in the future.
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