More than two decades after the 2001 Draft night in New York City, Shane Battier looked back on his fellow draft class member Pau Gasol’s rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Gasol famously faced what could only be described as a culture shock. However, instead of withdrawing, he gradually adapted to his new surroundings by taking in everything around him. Battier noted that this included embracing the local food scene — so much so that Gasol, listed at 250 pounds during his career, gained quite some weight during his rookie season.
“He (Gasol) never had barbecue ribs before, so obviously Memphis has great barbecue. I think Pau put on about 30 pounds from eating barbecue ribs out in Memphis,”quipped Battier on the “Tha Two Dawgs” podcast.
Rookie adjustment
Rookies in the NBA quickly learn that the jump to the big stage isn’t easy. For players coming from overseas, the adjustment can be even tougher. After all, the game, the culture and even day-to-day life can feel completely foreign.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the Spaniard Pau Gasol’s rookie year wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Battier underlined that sentiment, recalling meeting a “wide-eyed” Gasol on his first day in the United States, a country he had never visited before. He added that “Meal Ticket” didn’t speak a single word of English while suddenly being confronted with a world where “everything was brand new.”
There was one upside, though. Battier, taken just three picks later, said the Grizzlies — who had acquired Gasol from the Atlanta Hawks — offered the kind of low-pressure setting most first-year players rarely get.
“It was great that we could grow up under the radar, learn and make mistakes,” Battier, who had already made waves in the basketball scene due to his stellar Duke Blue Devils tenure, said.
Bonding over Memphis food
For both Battier and Gasol — but especially the latter — adjusting to life off the court was just as crucial as learning the NBA game. Battier recalled that he tried to help Gasol with that, including introducing him to the Memphis food scene, with its famous barbecue ribs — a discovery the future Hall of Fame big man indulged in with gusto, embraced wholeheartedly and which contributed to him putting on some weight during his first season.
Some might raise an eyebrow at a rookie piling on pounds, calling it unprofessional. However, for lanky young centers, it’s often part of the process. Guys like Rudy Gobert, Kristaps Porzingis and even a young Shaquille O’Neal all went through similar bulking phases to handle the NBA’s physical grind.
What is also noteworthy is that Gasol, who once admitted he started to cry after his third game in the league, didn’t let the added pounds slow him down. He averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game during his debut campaign and ultimately won the coveted Rookie of the Year award.
Ultimately, those early years in the league, and yes, the occasional indulgence in Memphis ribs, helped forge a deep bond between Battier and Gasol. The two — who together combine for four NBA championships — became great buddies, a friendship that endures to this day, as Battier said.