When Pau Gasol first arrived in Los Angeles back in 2008 after his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, profiles in the LA press fell all over themselves about having such a cosmopolitan seven-footer in their midst. LA, known as a single industry town, has been accused of nursing an inferiority complex when it comes to fine arts and culture. Having the cultured, multilingual Catalan Gasol choose LA over other suitors was presented as the center half wanting to play with Kobe Bryant and half wanting to go to the Getty Museum.
Now Gasol has landed with contender Chicago after flirting with the OKC Thunder in the off-season. And OKC superstar Kevin Durant just revealed Gasol chose Chicago over OKC because Gasol “was more concerned about the city…He’s into, like, orchestras and plays.” Unlike LA people, OKC fans don’t care as much about what people think of their city. They like it. But they won’t like Gasol, who can expect a very unwelcome reception when he comes to town. It’s too bad, too: Gasol just missed a selection of the Russian Tsars’ Faberge eggs at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
