If you haven’t heard it before, you must not be paying attention: The UCLA basketball team has a new famous walk-on, and this one has a basketball pedigree.
Adria Gasol, kid brother of NBA big men Pau and Marc Gasol, will walk on for the Bruins in 2012-13. From Yahoo! Sports:
"Adria Gasol, the 18-year-old brother of NBA big men Pau and Marc Gasol, has enrolled as a student at UCLA and intends to walk-on to the team next season. A UCLA spokesman said the youngest Gasol brother will not join the Bruins on their exhibition tour of China when they leave Wednesday, but he will begin practicing with the team this fall."
YAY! A GASOL BROTHER WILL BE JOINING US IN WESTWOOD, OMGZ.
Wait, what do you mean he doesn’t play basketball very good?
"“Adria was on radar of a couple of Spanish agents and scouts, but they don’t see him in the future on as high a level as his brothers play. His basketball IQ is limited, he shows some serious lack of basketball fundamentals and struggles due to many injuries,” [said Polish scout Rafal Juc]."
Aww, well that’s OK. In 2011-12, the UCLA basketball team was also extremely limited in basketball IQ and they also showed a serious lack of basketball fundamentals. All in all, Adria Gasol should fit right in!
Seriously, guys, let’s not bag on the kid. He obviously has a passion for basketball and has had it since he was a kid, and following in his brothers’ footsteps was likely a dream of his.
Wait, it wasn’t?
"He wasn’t interested in following in his brothers’ footsteps in basketball growing up and played sparingly as a freshman and sophomore at Lausanne High School in Memphis before returning to Spain the past two years."
Oh. Well, he’s 6’10” so who cares?
In all seriousness (for real this time), there’s no risk that UCLA takes from having a Gasol brother walk-on for the team. They don’t have to use a scholarship, there’s name recognition and, who knows, perhaps Pau makes a trip across the street to see his kid brother play and his presence will create a buzz at the newly-renovated Pauley Pavilion. Worst case scenario, he flames out and the dude quits basketball. Best-case scenario, he impresses the hell out of us and, over four years, learns the fundamentals of basketball and becomes very serviceable down the line.
We obviously can’t expect a ton from him because he is a walk-on after all, but there’s nothing wrong with a Gasol brother wanting to play at UCLA.
Even if he can’t play basketball all that well.
GO BRUINS!!!