NBA Finals: Gasol Just As Heroic As Howard

Yes, Pau Gasol, like Dwight Howard is, was once considered a superhero, albeit at the local, small-market (even smaller than Orlando) level.

When he first arrived in Memphis, the Spaniard's exciting style of play, passion and aggression—for which he is often given no credit—catapulted the Grizzlies from a perennial league laughing stock to a perennial playoff team, despite the lack of a strong second option on those Grizz teams.

Still, during Pau's tenure with the organization, the Grizz became a respectable team, outperforming Kobe Bryant's Lakers during two consecutive regular seasons: 2004-05 and 2005-06.

In 2007, the Lakers made the playoffs, while a Grizz team that had an injured Pau Gasol on its inactive roster, was unable to break in. However, K...

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