MADRID -- Pau Galsol announced Tuesday that he is retiring from basketball. His career spanned more than two decades, earning him two NBA championships and a gold medal with Spain's national team.
After Spain's quarterfinal defeat to the United States at the Tokyo Games, the 41-year old announced his retirement from international basketball. This was his fifth Olympics.
Gasol was with the Spanish club Barcelona since February. Gasol's career was stalled due to a stress fracture in the left foot. This lingering injury kept him out of action for almost two years.
Gasol stated, "I'm going retire from professional basketball." "It's difficult to make this decision after so many years but it was something I really thought about."
A hero in Los Angeles. Legendary hoops player all over the globe.
Congratulations on your retirement, Pau. pic.twitter.com/ODzWHXgq94 Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 5, 2021
An event was held at a Barcelona opera house where former teammates and their families were present, including Pau Gasol, his wife and his daughter, as well as Marc, Marc's brother.
Gasol won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He averaged 17.0 points per game and 9.2 rebounds over 1,226 regular season games with five NBA teams (Memphis Grizzlies Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls) in 2009. He was the No. He was the No. 3 pick in 2001 NBA draft. Atlanta selected him and traded him to Memphis.
Gasol played his last game in the NBA in 2019 with the Bucks. Gasol signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in that same year, but he never got to play.
Gasol won the 2006 world championship title with Spain, as well as European titles in 2009 and 2011.
He was instrumental in helping Spain win Olympic silver medals 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London and a bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Gasol was elected to represent athletes in the International Olympic Committee's next seven-year period. Gasol joined the IOC membership, which was made up of 12 athletes, as well as business leaders, European and Middle East royalty, and international sports bodies.
