The already former basketball player, Pau Gasol, announced his retirement as a professional in an emotional farewell ceremony at the Liceo. The one of Sant Boi de Llobregat put an end to More than two decades on the courts at the age of 41 and after a last stint at FC Barcelona, where he won the Endesa League and remained at the gates of the Euroleague. He also participated in his last Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
The Catalan, who still was not clear if he would continue one more year at the Palau Blaugrana defending the colors of his FC Barcelona, he leaves as one of the most important players in the history of national sport. With two NBA rings, with the Los Angeles Lakers and with his great friend Kobe Bryant, in addition to two Leagues, a King’s Cup, three Eurobasket, a World Cup and three Olympic medals.
The pivot has averaged 17 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in the NBA: throughout his career he has played a total of 1,226 (72 per season on average) in which he has played 41,001 minutes (33.4 minutes per game). He has maintained a 50.7% in field goals made and a creditable 75.3% in free throws made.
Historical records in the NBA
Gasol has made history in the best basketball league in the world on several occasions. In 2015, with the Chicago Bulls, he scored a whopping 46 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, where he also pulverized his record for assists with 14 in the same game against the Portland Trail Blazers.. In Los Angeles he did get his maximum rebounds on two occasions with a total of 22.
In the play-off, the pivot never disappointed: he averaged 15.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. In 2002, in his first year with the Memphis Grizzlies, he won the Rookie of the Year and in 2012, already in the Chicago Bulls, he was awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
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