Monday has been on the 7-foot Spaniard's mind for months.

"To be honest, that's the first thing I was looking for when the schedule came out," Gasol said of his return visit Monday with the Los Angeles Lakers . "I wanted to know when I was going to have that first game back in Memphis. It's special, no matter what the situation is."

Situation?

Gasol's happy.

Memphis has cap space.

Gasol's more appreciated in LakerLand.

Memphis is learning to love its team again.

Gasol's playing for championships.

Memphis has first-round draft picks.

What situation?

"They did what they thought was best," Gasol said. "I'm thankful it turned out my way. I'm hoping it turns out well for them too. I hope they have good luck in the future."

Gasol refuses to criticize that oft-criticized February deal, sending him to the land of greener NBA pastures in exchange for the rights to his brother, Marc Gasol , Javaris Crittenton, Kwame Brown, Aaron McKie and two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010).

The oldest Gasol remains an eternal optimist. He's also still the genuinely nice guy who perked up at the sight of a Memphis scribe appearing out of the blue for a Friday night L.A.-Miami tilt. Even though he's clearly packed fond memories, Gasol realizes he could receive a chilly reception Monday because of how his relationship inexplicably deteriorated with Griz fans.

If there is animosity in FedExForum, it will be one-sided.

"If I get a good reception, I'll be thankful. If I don't, I'll be a little disappointed. But I can't control that," Gasol said. "It'll be special to see people (in Memphis) who have been with me through that journey. I still own two properties there. My father still works for St. Jude (Children's Research Hospital), and it'll be special to play against my brother."

A segment of the fan base still calls Gasol names not fit to print in a newspaper. There are people in the Griz organization that disparaged the big man for his so-called lack of toughness and leadership.

You know what Gasol says about Memphis even today?

"Its home," he said. "I was there for a lot of years. I grew up there."

So what if Gasol once asked for a trade? His teammate Kobe Bryant once did, too. Los Angeles got over Bryant's emotionally charged trade demands. Memphis can follow suit with regard to Gasol.

And much like Bryant, Gasol never quit on the court. He earned those multiple franchise records, and wide-spread respect, even without deep playoff runs.

"I'm proud of everything I accomplished in Memphis, individually and as a team," Gasol said. "We got 50 wins, and we made the playoffs a few times. We just weren't able to get to that next level and get over the hump."

Yet Gasol remains the most consistent player to wear a Grizzly uniform. Consistency is what defines true professional athletes. It's why Patrick Ewing (then a Seattle SuperSonic) received a bone-chilling reception during his return to New York, and why Bobby Jackson's return to Sacramento as a Grizzly created shivers.

With apologies to the still greatly embarrassed Shane Battier , no one is asking Memphis to bestow poster-sized appreciation on Gasol.

Just a show of thanks for another good guy who made the Grizzlies relevant.

Love train

Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo will forever be linked by their brief college rivalry and the draft-night trade that swapped one player for the other. Love, though, isn't interested in the comparisons.

"O.J., he's a great player and I'm not taking anything away from him, but we're two totally different players," Love said. "He's going to put up those numbers. He's shooting 18 shots a game. I don't know how many I'm shooting, but it's nowhere near close to that. He's getting 38, 39 minutes a game.

"O.J.'s always going to be a great player, and he's always going to put up numbers. I'll always wish the best for him. It has always been a friendly rivalry, but I'm more worried about myself than I am O.J."

From the baseline

An Internet report about the Miami Heat talking to Cleveland about sending Shawn Marion for Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak caught both sides off-guard, and the teams insist no talks have taken place in months. But that doesn't mean a potential Marion deal is going away. ... Houston rookie Joey Dorsey , who's been on the court for just 2minutes all season, was on the verge of being sent to Rio Grande Valley of the D-League until the former Memphis Tiger came down with a case of plantar fasciitis. ... Phoenix coach Terry Porter had his jersey retired in Portland where he posted eight consecutive double-figure scoring seasons and still holds the Blazers' career assists record (5,319). He twice helped the Blazers reach the NBA Finals, where he still holds the record for most free throws made without a miss (15). ... Speaking of Portland, assistant coach Maurice Lucas is finally starting to work his way back into a routine with the Blazers after missing nearly two months with bronchial pneumonia. ... San Antonio's Tim Duncan played in his 1,000th regular-season game last week. He's also absorbed the pounding of 155 playoff games. When Duncan grabbed his 10,000th career rebound last week, he became one of only six players to score 18,000 points, grab 10,000 boards and block 2,000 shots.

Call Ronald Tillery at 529-2353, read his Grizzlies blog at commercialappeal.com/tillery and listen to him 6-8 a.m. weekdays on The Morning Rush on WHBQ-AM (560).