Toronto Raptors star Marc Gasol lost more than a few kilograms in preparation for their NBA title defence. The 35-year-old Spanish basketball player, the younger brother of Pau Gasol, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. He was later traded for his brother to the Memphis Grizzlies. Now, 13 years and one championship with the Raptors later, Marc Gasol is unrecognisable after he slimmed down during the NBA quarantine hiatus.

In a photo shared by Hoops Hype, Gasol can be seen noticeably slimmer by more than a few kilograms. While there are detractors saying the Raptors would never have won if Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson didn't get injured in the finals, a win is a win.

They did, after all, beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. That was the team favored to win the title.

According to Clutch Points, Gasol joins a list of players who spent the hiatus slimming down in preparation for the so-called "asterisk championship." Other players such as James Harden and Nikola Jokic also posted their body transformations in anticipation of the upcoming season resumption in Orlando, Florida.

Gasol missed 28 games in the regular season due to hamstring injuries, but was healthy enough to play a few games before the league was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Given how he has had a long time to rest and recuperate, we can expect Gasol to be completely healthy when the games resume. Other injured players such as Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry also took advantage of the hiatus to rest and heal. Unfortunately for Thompson and Curry, the Golden State Warriors are already eliminated as part of the new format, and won't be included in the league restart.

A healthy Gasol would do the Raptors good, considering they are no longer the same championship team. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2019 offseason, and Danny Green now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The former defensive player of the year averaged 14-17 points and over seven rebounds in his younger days. During his peak, he averaged 19.5 points. This season he was only able to log 7.6 points a game with 6.3 rebounds. Hopefully, his slimmer body can lift his scoring back to double digits and add one or two more rebounds into the mix.

Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol Wikipedia