Toronto Raptors: 5 things we’ll remember the most from Marc Gasol

If you haven’t already heard, Marc Gasol is going to finish his career at FC Barcelona, meaning it puts an end to his wonderful time for the Toronto Raptors.

2772 minutes. That’s how many total minutes Marc Gasol has played in a Toronto Raptors jersey and we’re going to be reviewing 2579 minutes and 15 seconds of it. In his short stint here, Gasol played a vital piece in the Raptors’ first-ever championship. He did everything he was asked of and more on both ends of the floor and without him, we can’t be so sure that the Raptors see the same kind of success in 2019.

This is where Masai Ujiri doesn’t get enough credit for the acquisition of Marc Gasol. Yes, it was hard to see the long time Raptor Jonas Valančiūnas leave Toronto. But Marc’s play and character made that break-up easy to deal with.

It’s with great pleasure that I’ll remind every Toronto fan why we’ll forever be grateful for his time here counting every big moment and every minute starting with a fan favorite.

5. Marc Gasol holds Embiid to 0 points (34 minutes)

This was probably the moment Gasol got the most attention from the NBA while in a Toronto Raptors jersey. Marc Gasol held one of the best centers in the league to zero points. Embiid went 0/11 from the field, 0/4 from three, and even failed to score at the free-throw line missing all three. Most importantly they would go on to win the game 101-96.

4. Gasol comes up big in do or die Game 3 against Milwaukee Bucks (45 minutes)

Any Toronto Raptors fan who watched last season’s playoff run should remember this game vividly. A must-win game at home that went all the way to double-overtime. But one thing they may not remember is how badly Gasol had played in Games 1 & 2. Gasol shot 3-20 from the field and was part of the reason the Raptors went down 2-0 in the first place. However, in probably what was Gasol’s biggest game of his life, Gasol played out of his mind in Game 3.

3. Gasol’s transformation from star to role player in Championship run (735 minutes)

Game 3 was surely the Gasol’s best game in the 2019 playoff run, nonetheless, it was only a small part of what he did in the championship run. Gasol did it on both ends of the floor in the playoffs like he did his whole career. The main difference this time around was that Gasol wasn’t the focal point of the team like he was in Memphis.

2. Highest win percentage in Toronto Raptors history (1809 minutes,70 regular-season games)

Yes, that’s right. Out of all Raptors players with at least 50 games, Marc Gasol is the player with the highest win rate in franchise history. In the 70 games Gasol has been a part of, he has won 53 and lost 17, leading to a win percentage of 75.71 percent.

1. Chugging a bottle of wine at Toronto Raptors championship parade (15 seconds)

We’d be lying if we said this wasn’t the most impressive thing he has done with the Toronto Raptors. For those who don’t know, Marc Gasol chugged a whole bottle of wine in only 15 seconds.