Pau Gasol is a former professional NBA and Spanish National Team basketball player, president of the Gasol Foundation, a member of the International Olympic Committee, and president of Gasol16 Ventures, through which he is an investor and advisor in projects related to sports and wellness.
He began his sports career at FC Barcelona. In 2001, he became the second Spaniard to play in the NBA and the first to win the 'Rookie of the Year award with the Memphis Grizzlies. He is a two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star. He helped the Spanish national team win a world championship and was a three-time Olympic medalist.
Pau has worked closely with major sports entities and has become an ambassador for the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers, FIBA, and FC Barcelona. He has been a benchmark for many European players aspiring to compete in the world's best basketball league. This legacy has earned him several recognitions only accessible to the best players in history. On one hand, the Los Angeles Lakers retired his jersey with the number 16 in March 2023, making him the first international player to receive such an honor. In early April, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
As a former player of a team sport, Pau Gasol conveys a message of leadership and motivation in his conferences, focusing on the keys to teamwork and the importance of mental strength. Off the court, he is a great champion of social causes. He was educated based on the principles of healthy living and even began studying medicine, which he felt a vocation for. In 2013, he and his brother Marc created the Gasol Foundation, whose mission is to reduce childhood obesity rates. This entity focuses its efforts on promoting healthy living habits among children and youth through its programs both in Spain and the United States. In 2022, he presented the
National Strategic Plan for the reduction of childhood obesity alongside the Government of Spain.
Gasol has served as an Ambassador for the Spanish Committee of UNICEF since 2003. He is currently a Global Champion for nutrition and the end of childhood obesity for UNICEF.
His philanthropic work has earned him several recognitions, such as the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports or the Special Recognition Award of the NAOS Strategy. Moreover, his commitment to the community and women's sports has made him deserving of the Bob Lanier Community Service Award, as well as the Kobe & Gigi Bryant Advocacy Award, respectively.
Through Gasol16 Ventures, Pau groups his business activity related to investment and advisory in projects related to sport, health and wellness, Spanish entrepreneurship, and private equity.
