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Ex-NBA champion Pau Gasol makes 'difficult decision' to retire

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Pau Gasol before the press conference. Albert Gea, Reuters" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/10/06/gasol.jpg"/><figcaption>Pau Gasol before the press conference. Albert Gea, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>BARCELONA -- Double NBA winner and Europe&#x27;s most successful basketballer Pau Gasol said on Tuesday he had made the &quot;difficult decision&quot; to retire, but at 41 was at ease with his choice.Gasol, the older brother of recently-released Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, won the competition in 2009 and 2010 during his time at the Los Angeles Lakers.Two years ago, he suffered a foot injury which threatened to end his career earlier than planned.&quot;It is a difficult decision. As you can imagine, it is difficult, after so many years, but it is a considered decision, you have to change gear a little, and know how to enjoy it,&quot; ex-center Gasol told reporters at a press conference in Barcelona.&quot;I wanted to end up playing and enjoying myself, not on crutches and with operations,&quot; he added.He was a six-time NBA All-Star after being named the league&#x27;s Rookie of the Year in 2002 and won his two NBA crowns alongside Kobe Bryant.Gasol emotionally paid tribute to former Lakers team-mate Bryant, who died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash.&quot;One last word for my friend Kobe Bryant. I would have really liked for him to be here, but it&#x27;s not possible,&quot; Gasol said with tears in his eyes.&quot;Life isn&#x27;t fair some times. He taught me how to be a better player, a better leader, I always considered him as a big brother,&quot; he added.<div>- &#x27;The Golden Kids&#x27; -</div>For Spain, Gasol, who also had spells with the Grizzlies, the Chicago Bulls, the San Antonio Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks, claimed two Olympic silver medals and a bronze as well as three EuroBasket crowns.He was the leader of his country&#x27;s generation nicknamed &#x27;The Golden Kids&#x27; as he led a side including his sibling as well as former Grizzlies shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro and ex-Portland TrailBlazers small forward Rudy Fernandez to the 2006 FIBA World Cup.The Catalan, standing at 2.16m, is among the continent&#x27;s greatest players in the NBA along with German Dirk Nowitzki, Croatian Drazen Petrovic, the &quot;Greek Freak&quot; Giannis Antetokounmpo and Frenchman Tony Parker, who he passed as EuroBasket&#x27;s leading scorer in 2017.His last international appearance came at this summer&#x27;s Olympics in Tokyo during the quarter-final defeat to the USA.He finished his club career with a Liga ACB title in Spain in June while with hometown club Barcelona but failed to clinch the EuroLeague.&quot;I am thankful to all. Having won one more league with Barca,&quot; he said.Gasol said he did not want to become a coach but indicated that his future still lay within the game he has graced for over 20 years.&quot;Consultant or director... We&#x27;ll see. I&#x27;ve already started to speak with many NBA teams,&quot; he said.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

Double NBA winner and Europe's most successful basketballer Pau Gasol said on Tuesday he had made the 'difficult decision' to retire.