Pau Gasol didn’t need the Spurs. He had a Hall of Fame-worthy resume before he set foot in the home locker room of the AT&T Center. Money wasn’t really an issue, not after being one of the highest paid players in the league for years. Sure, he was at the tail end of his career, but he was an All-Star two years in a row before arriving in San Antonio.
Pau Gasol didn’t need the Spurs, which was reason enough to be skeptical about how he’d fit with them. As talented as he’s always been, he’s also been perceived as high maintenance.