Gasol finally feels at home in U.S.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Pau Gasol had more than American culture to adjust to when he joined the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 21-year-old rookie from Spain had to learn a faster, rougher style of play than he had known back home, and then there are all those games, 82 of them in the regular season.

Last year with FC Barcelona, Gasol played just 29 games.

"You've got to be mentally ready for that," he said. "You've got to be physically fit, too."

Gasol, a lean 7-foot forward, came to Memphis as the overall No. 3 pick in the draft, the highest selection ever for a foreign player. The Grizzlies got the rights to him in a trade with Atlanta, and they couldn't be much happier.

He leads the team in scoring with about 16 points a game, and in rebounding at close to nine. He scored a career-high 31 points and blocked five shots to lead the Grizzlies to a 102-96 victory Thursday night over the Suns in Phoenix.

"I don't know when I'll reach my best game. I'm just going to keep working," he said. "Every week, every game I'm going to be a better player."

Gasol began to draw American attention in Europe two years ago, and he led Spain to a third-place finish last year in the European Championships.

His first trip to the United States was for the draft in June, and he's still learning his way around, on and off the court.

To help with that transition, Gasol's parents and two younger brothers have moved into a Memphis apartment with him while he looks for a house.

Gasol's mother, Marisa, a physician, and his father, Agusti, a hospital administrator, took leaves of absence from their jobs in Spain. His 16-year-old brother, Marc, who is 6-foot-10, is playing basketball at Lausanne, a small private high school in Memphis. His other brother, Adria, is 8.

Gasol, whose English still needs work, is happy to have them with him, although he expects they will return to Spain in a year or so. He said having his family around has allowed him to focus more on basketball.

"They're helping me a lot," he said.

Terms of Gasol's contract have not been made public, but under NBA guidelines it could be worth close to $14 million over four years.

Along with another top draft pick, Shane Battier out of Duke, Gasol makes major contributions to a team that's off to a 11-24 start after moving to Memphis from Vancouver for this season.

Gasol has started in all but three games, averaging about 35 minutes. He was selected as Western Conference rookie of the month in November; Battier got that award for December.

Iverson, Brown fueding again

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --Allen Iverson and Larry Brown are having another disagreement, and this one seems a little more personal than their previous spats.

Iverson criticized Brown's coaching as well as the lack of team chemistry and effort following a lethargic loss Wednesday to the Orlando Magic.

Later, Brown responded.

"This is the first time in my career I've had any player say anything like that publicly," Brown said. "If that's the way he feels, then, obviously, I'm doing something wrong.

"He wants to blame me, that's fine. I'll take responsibility. That's what coaches do all . ... If your team doesn't play good and he wants to point a finger at me, it makes him feel better, that's fine. When the team plays poorly, that's my responsibility."

Small Hornets crowds buzzing

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --The Hornets have been playing before the smallest crowds in their history this season as ownership considers its relocation options, but no crowd was smaller than the one that turned out after a snowstorm to see the Hornets play the Warriors on Jan. 3.

Fewer than 1,000 made the trek to the Charlotte Coliseum, and whenever Hornets point guard Baron Davis made a nice play, they would shot "Wooooo!" mimicking pro wrestler Ric Flair's trademark call.

Flair and Davis have a local commercial in which Flair teaches Baron how to do it. Ever since, the "wooooo" has picked up steam.

--From wire reports