Video: Pau Gasol Addresses “Made Up” Rumors Posted by Brooks on May. 09, 2011, 2:10pmLast Friday I addressed the message board-borne rumor that Pau Gasol had recently broken up with his girlfriend, which in turn was contributing to his poor performance for the Lakers in the NBA playoffs. (What part of “lies” and “made up” does the media not understand?) A source who works with the Lakers confirmed to me at that time that Gasol’s girlfriend Silvia Lopez Castro most recently attended the Lakers game against the Mavericks with Gasol’s mother Marisa on Wednesday at Staples Center. I’ve since confirmed that fact through two more Laker organization sources today. During a L.A.-based CBS 2 report from Lakers correspondent John Ireland in Dallas on Saturday, Gasol was asked by a reporter: “Is the chemistry okay with you and Kobe, are you guys on the same page?” Gasol: “It’s great. The chemistry has been great actually. I think there’s been a lot of talk and rumors and stories made up that I don’t know where they come from. It’s unfortunate but it comes with the situation that we’re in. People try to find reasons, throw stones at us at this time. It’s part of the deal.” Gasol added of the false rumors to Kevin Ding of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER during the same interview session: “I don’t read them, but people close to me read them … affecting people very close to me. ” … (the) media tries to do their job the best they can and some try to do that. “To me, it’s sad … because if there was any truth to it, you deal with it. “But when they lie and make up stories, it’s not pleasant.” After the Game 4 loss to Dallas on Sunday, Bill Plaschke of the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported: “I have to learn from this,” Gasol said. ”I have to learn that when something happens off the court, you have to keep it off the court.” The key line from Gasol came on Saturday, when he said of the rumors, “I don’t read them, but people close to me read them … affecting people very close to me.” If Gasol had indeed broken up with girlfriend Castro, who would he Gasol be referring to in the present tense? If Gasol had indeed broken up with girlfriend Castro, why was Castrol at the Lakers-Mavericks game at Staples Center last Wednesday with Gasol’s mother Marisa? As I wrote last Friday, with no obvious injury or personal issue to attribute Gasol’s mediocre playoff performance, the media always takes the easy route by reaching for something to ease their small minds. Source: SportsByBrooks
UPDATE: Pau Gasol spoke to ESPNLosAngeles.com after his exit interview with Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson on Tuesday and he said once again that any rumors regarding a rift with Kobe Bryant were "absolutely false." "My girlfriend and I are fine, we're happy, we're doing well. Kobe and I are fine," Gasol said. "She [Lopez Castro] was suffering because she saw me suffering. And I was suffering because I was seeing her suffering. When you add that to other stuff to what's already happening, it's tough." Gasol reiterated that he will break down the way he played in the playoffs and he plans to come back with "a clean cut" next season. ---- Pau Gasol struggled throughout the playoffs and according to the Los Angeles Times, the power forward denied over the weekend that there was a rift between himself and Kobe Bryant. Gasol says he plans on using the offseason to understand that he must do a better job of handling offcourt issues. "Individually, I want to learn from it," Gasol said. "Just look back and savor everything that's been going on and try to handle it better. And just whatever goes on, on or off the court, just try to keep it that way and not let it affect anything that goes on on the floor." Gasol scored just 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Game 4 on Sunday.
