Is Pau Gasol a Barcelona fan?
Not in his own words. What's on file is a background tie to FC Barcelona, not a stated fandom.
Pau Gasol Full fan file: every team he roots for, with receipts
“He was born in Barcelona but grew up in Sant Boi de Llobregat on the outskirts of the city, and joined FC Barcelona in the 1997-98 season at the age of 16”
Reported by FC Barcelona (club site), March 14, 2019.
Last checked November 4, 2026: the quote still matched the page word for word.
What has Pau Gasol said about FC Barcelona?
Nothing on record has Pau Gasol declaring himself a Barcelona fan. What exists is a biographical note from the club's own site, published March 14, 2019, which describes him this way: "He was born in Barcelona but grew up in Sant Boi de Llobregat on the outskirts of the city, and joined FC Barcelona in the 1997-98 season at the age of 16". That line was written by a club writer, not by Gasol, and it describes a career path rather than an allegiance. It makes the tie to Barcelona a matter of background, not a stated fandom.
Did Pau Gasol grow up a Barcelona fan?
The tie to the city is real. Gasol was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on July 6, 1980. When he was 6, his family moved to Sant Boi de Llobregat, a city close to Barcelona, where he spent the rest of his childhood. Nothing available says he rooted for the club as a kid, or at any other point. Birth and upbringing near the city explain why the connection exists, but they do not amount to a statement of loyalty.
When did Pau Gasol become a Barcelona fan?
No date can be given, because no fandom is stated. What can be dated is his time with the club. Gasol joined FC Barcelona in the 1997-98 season at 16, and his listed career with the club began in 1998 and ran through 2001, when the Atlanta Hawks took him third overall in the draft. He then spent years with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks. In 2021 he returned to FC Barcelona for a second stint, which closed out his career. Playing for the club's basketball section, twice, is the strongest link on record, and it is an employment history, not a declaration.
Which other athletes are Barcelona fans?
Three other players are tied to Barcelona in the record, all with caveats. Chris Paul is listed as a reported fan. Kobe Bryant, who died in 2020, said so in his own posts on X. Jaylen Brown is listed as a player who used to be a fan, and that claim is disputed. None of them are paired with Gasol in any source given here, so these are separate cases, and each carries a weaker or more qualified label than a plain statement from the player would.
Questions people ask
Is Pau Gasol a Barcelona fan?
Not in his own words. What is documented is a background tie to FC Barcelona: he was born in the city and played for the club's basketball section, but no source has him stating a fandom.
Does Pau Gasol like FC Barcelona?
No statement from him about how he feels toward the club appears in the sources. He played for it twice, from 1998 to 2001 and again in 2021, but that is a playing history, not an expressed opinion.
Did Pau Gasol grow up a Barcelona fan?
Gasol was born in Barcelona and raised from age 6 in nearby Sant Boi de Llobregat. No source says he supported the club as a child.
Which other athletes are Barcelona fans?
Chris Paul is listed as a reported fan. Kobe Bryant, who died in 2020, said so in his own posts on X. Jaylen Brown is listed as a former fan, and that is disputed.