Pau Gasol, one of the greatest European basketball players of all time, and Catherine McDonnell, a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, have been together since 2015 and got married in 2019.
Gasol had a remarkable career that spanned over two decades in the NBA.
During that time, he won two NBA titles with the Lakers (2009, 2010) and three Olympic medals (silver in 2008 and 2012, bronze in 2016) with the Spanish national team.
In October 2021, he announced his retirement from professional basketball and has since worked with the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission.
Pau Gasol And His Wife, Catherine McDonnell, Have Been Happily Married For 5 Years!
Pau Gasol tied the knot with Catherine McDonnell, a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur.
The couple met in 2015 and began dating shortly after spending vacations together in Mexico.
They officially started dating in early 2016 when Pau publicly announced Catherine as his girlfriend.
After dating for two years, they got engaged in October 2018. They had a public wedding ceremony in San Francisco on July 7, 2019.
A week later, they had a more intimate and private ceremony in the beautiful Ampurdan area of Northeastern Spain.
Pau and Catherine have two children: a daughter named Elisabet Gianna Gasol (born in September 2020) and a son named Max Gasol (born in December 2022).
Interestingly, the couple named their daughter in honor of Kobe Bryant’s daughter, Gianna Bryant.
They made this heartfelt decision to pay tribute to their close friend and former teammate, Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
New Rookie signing! Gasol starting 5, coming this fall 2024 season. 🧔🏻♂️👩🏼👧🏻👦🏼👶🏻 pic.twitter.com/D5RN0NbKu2
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 28, 2024
On July 29, 2024, the pair joyfully announced on Twitter that they were expecting their third child with the caption,
starting 5, coming this fall 2024 season.
This news follows the couple’s current family of four eagerly waiting for the arrival of the newest member in fall 2024.
Additionally, Catherine often shares her appreciation for Pau on social media, and they are seen together at various events.
They also share a passion for philanthropy and run the Gasol Foundation, an NGO focused on children’s health and education.
Catherine McDonnell’s Versatile Career Journey Across Diverse Fields!
Catherine was born in the U.S. on May 22, 1989, to parents Dennis and Celeste McDonnell.
Her parents raised her in the U.S. along with her siblings, Michael and Kelly Griggs.
She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communication and Business from the University of Southern California.
Regarding her professional endeavors, she has worked in various roles, including public relations, sales and marketing, sports broadcasting, and project management.
She began her career in 2007 with Singer Associates Public Relations and Public Affairs and later moved into sales and marketing at Showtime Networks Inc. in 2009.
Additionally, from 2010 to 2011, she worked as a sports broadcasting reporter for ABC News and as a broadcast journalist for Fox News.
In May 2013, she joined the Innovative Dining Group as a project manager.
After her marriage, Catherine served as Vice President at Guggenheim Partners from 2014 to 2017.
Furthermore, she is currently the Director of Communications for the TESS Research Foundation, which funds research on SLC13A5 epilepsy.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Gasol was named the FIBA Europe Player of the Year twice, in 2008 and 2009.
- He also won the Mister Europa Player of the Year and Euroscar Player of the Year multiple times.
