Three Year Anniversary

I didn't realize until I read it, but yesterday was the three year anniversary of the Pau Gasol trade! I remember it so clearly... I didn't know much about Pau, but things had been a little dismal in Lakerland and everyone kept saying how good he was, so it seemed like a good idea. And then the Lakers went on a crazy roll, winning 22 of their last 27 games of the 2007-08 season. It was also the first year since 2004 that the Lakers reached the NBA Finals, although it didn't turn out as we would have liked. Still, the Lakers have been championship contenders every year since thanks in large part to Pau. He is the perfect second-best player on a team and complements Kobe well. It also allowed Lamar a bit of breathing room as far as offensive production because he didn't have to be relied upon to be the second option. The domino effect was huge, and I am so glad Pau is a Laker. The positives far outweigh the few negatives. He could stand to be more aggressive, which Kobe talked to him about after Sunday's game. "Even when he was in Memphis and he was the go-to guy, he was always very nice. Very white swan. I need him to be black swan." hahah I love movie references! And Pau followed through last night against Houston. Lamar has learned the balance between aggressive play, being a little selfish and still staying within the offense. A little selfishness is needed from our top scorers, and that includes Pau.

I think everyone should start calling Gasol the "Black Swan". It sounds badass and fits with the Black Mamba perfectly! haha I wish I had put two and two together myself, but I read the names next to each other in a Lakers Nation headline and was like...wait a second. Black Swan as a nickname would be awesome!