Pau Gasol, a former NBA star and two-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, has been a prominent figure both in the NBA and international basketball, earning three Olympic medals for Spain. Post-retirement, Gasol heads Gasol16 Ventures and the Gasol Foundation. He recently entered a partnership with BetterUp, a leading startup in mental health and coaching, committed to enhancing individuals’ lives through greater clarity, purpose, and passion.
In his partnership with BetterUp, Gasol engaged in a detailed discussion with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Chief Impact Officer of BetterUp. During this conversation, shared publicly on Thursday, Gasol shared insights into achieving peak performance and his method for attaining ‘flow,’ a state of intense focus and engagement. The dialogue covered a range of topics including his basketball career, experiences with Kobe Bryant, team chemistry, overcoming fatigue, and more. This interview is accessible to non-members of BetterUp.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, Gasol discussed his involvement with BetterUp, his interactions with Prince Harry, and key moments from his basketball career that align with BetterUp’s goals. Additionally, he commented on the upcoming NBA season, Victor Wembanyama, and other significant basketball developments this year.
Sports Illustrated: Why did you decide to work with BetterUp?
Pau Gasol: In our toughest and most challenging moments, I believe it is important to have a coach – a trusted voice who understands what you’re going through – to provide an objective perspective and help you break through any barriers that might be standing in your way.
BetterUp is one of the inventors and pioneers of virtual coaching, and as someone who attributes so much of my career success to the phenomenal coaches I’ve had throughout the years, I loved the idea that BetterUp was offering a similar resource for employees, leaders and organizations worldwide. In the same way a coach and player relationship is vital to success on and off the court, BetterUp understands the pivotal relationship between organizations and their employees, and what is needed to drive successful results
SI: What about the company’s mission appealed most to you?
PG: During my basketball career, I learned how intertwined the body and mind are. As important as physical fitness and health are, that is only one part of the equation. Your emotional well-being also plays an equally important role in your success and what you can accomplish. Someone can be at the top of their game physically, but if their mind isn’t where it needs to be, they’re leaving a lot of potential performance on the table. BetterUp doesn’t just understand this concept – they make it their mission to help people tap into that potential and reach peak performance through the coaching they provide their members. I think it’s important that people see the connection between body and mind, and I believe BetterUp is helping bring attention to that, which is a mission I want to support.
Coaching in the corporate world was traditionally seen as something reserved for executives. What I love about BetterUp is their approach to coaching the entire workforce, because everyone has the desire to learn and the need to grow. I also believe companies have realized that, to continue growing and performing at a high level, they need to coach and empower every single one of their employees.
SI: You’ve sat through many, many interviews over the course of your career. What was it like to be interviewed by Prince Harry?
PG: I had a wonderful time chatting with Prince Harry. He’s an extremely accomplished individual, and has done a lot for the world of sports through his work with the Invictus Games Foundation. He is someone who, like me, is dedicated to service and understands the role of mental fitness in overall performance. During my interview with him, I talked about how I sustained flow and peak performance during a game. Everything I talked about can be applied in the workplace when someone is facing a loss in flow or motivation. It was a great conversation that really resonated with me.
SI: Is there one particular experience or part of your NBA career that you feel showcases the sort of teamwork and resilience you spoke about with Prince Harry?
PG: I would say our championship in 2010 is a perfect example of the teamwork and resilience we discussed. Heading into Game 6, we were down 2-3 against the Celtics, and knew that one more loss would be our last of the season. That Celtics team was unreal, with three guys who went on to the Hall of Fame. We were all exhausted, but we had to be ready to battle and take this series to the full seven games. As a team, we continued to practice, strategize, and dig deep to pull out all the possible energy we could for this stretch. As you know, we went on to win the final two games of the series and take home our second NBA Championship in a row. It’s hard to win a championship, and even harder to win two back-to-back championships, but having to overcome a deficit requires tremendous resilience, as well as physical and mental intensity.
That’s the sort of success BetterUp tries to help organizations set themselves up for – the kind where leaders are able to help every member of a team reach their full potential.
SI: What strategies did you rely upon most as a basketball player when experiencing burnout, or losing your “flow”?
PG: One of the most important things to achieve maximum performance, what we’re describing here as flow, is to make sure that you take care of everything else in your life or around your life. That gives you the ability to focus and give your best to your professional career.
That means taking care of yourself outside of your profession, being in the right place emotionally, finding good balance – all of this will help you get to that high-performance state. Trusting the amount of work and preparation that you put in before a big game, a big challenge or a big moment also allows you to find that calmness and confidence in your delivery, which is so important to flow.
And then, also, having good leadership and great teammates who are moving in the same direction with you, who are cultivating the same mindset as you are, is also very, very important. You push each other and you hold each other accountable, you motivate each other on a daily basis to face critical moments where high performance will be needed to overcome adversity, and you work together to overcome tough competition.
SI: What do the Lakers need to do in order to return to regular championship contention, as they were when you were on the roster?
PG: I think the Lakers, just like any team that wants to contend for the championship, need to have a great season from beginning to end. They have to become a great defensive team, or establish themselves as a great defensive team, because that’s what’s going to separate them from their competitors.
They also have to stay healthy. They have a core of players now that have played together for a couple of seasons, but health will be, I think, one of the biggest difference-makers for this team – starting with their main players and going down to key role players.
Speaking of role players, I think that the biggest issue last season was not having key role players able to contribute throughout the season. The competition is very high in this league and details – like having healthy role players – really make a difference when it comes to winning a championship.
SI: What do you think of the Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick?
PG: Without knowing too much about the decision, I think they trust that JJ can lead this group. I think that when you look for a coach, you look for someone who players will respect, will follow. You want someone who will move players to buy into his philosophy and what he’s trying to do with the team. I think the Lakers feel that JJ is that person. I wish him, the coaching staff and the team a great season. I’m sure that since JJ joined the team, everyone has been working hard to make sure that they set themselves up for success. I look forward to seeing his impact on the team this season.
SI: Victor Wembanyama is about to embark upon his second NBA season. Looking back, what did your first NBA season teach you, and how much of a leap do you believe we should expect from the Spurs star?
Mike Johnson is a passionate news writer with a keen interest in current events. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he has a talent for uncovering the stories that matter most. Mike’s insightful articles and in-depth analyses have made him a trusted voice in the industry. He thrives on staying ahead of the news curve, providing readers with timely and relevant information. Whether it’s breaking news, politics, or social issues, Mike’s dedication to the craft ensures that his readers are always well-informed.