Lakers' Euro import may speak to Spanish fans: language accents Los Angeles appeal of Spaniard Pau Gasol.

THE cheers at Staples Center for recently acquired Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol rivaled those received last year by a different European import to Los Angeles: The Galaxy's soccer star David Beckham.

Lakers fans gave the Spaniard an especially warm welcome last week at his first home game. If the results of that game, a 122-93 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, are a measure of Gasol's impact on the team, his long-term marketing appeal could rival that of Beckham in the L.A. market.

The Lakers don't necessarily need any marketing help as the team's home games are already sold out. But higher TV ratings would help generate more revenue. So Gasol's native tongue might help him make the Spanish-speaking population in Southern California more Laker-friendly.

Many of the Spanish-language media outlets have already devoted more resources to coveting the Lakers. Team spokesman John Black saw interest from those outlets spike after the Feb. 1 trade that brought Gasol to L.A. Black expects to see more Lakers coverage in Spanish, especially if Gasol keeps helping the team win.

For Gasol, the added attention from fans and media in the second largest market in the United States can be overwhelming, especially since he spent the past few years in a smaller city.

"It's different than what I was used to in Memphis," Gasol said.

The Lakers have started to focus more on the Hispanic market in the past few years. Seven years ago, the team launched Fiesta Lakers event, which features musical acts at the Convention Center.

Unlike Beckham, Gasol wasn't introduced with confetti or officially welcomed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, but there is one prominent athlete who thinks that Gasol's presence trumps that of the soccer star.

"Los Angeles is a basketball town," said Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant. "Gasol is much more important."

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Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached at [phone], ext. 236, or at [e-mail]