MADRID – Pau Gasol announced his retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday, ending a two-decade career in which he won two NBA titles and a world championship with the Spanish national team.
The 41-year-old center had already announced his farewell to professional basketball in August, after Spain lost to the United States in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games, his fifth participation in an Olympic tournament.
Gasol joined Spanish club Barcelona in February. His career had been hampered by a stubborn left foot injury, preventing him from playing for nearly two years.
“I am going to retire from professional basketball. It is a difficult decision after so many years, but thoughtful,” Gasol announced in an appearance at the Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona.
Gasol was joined by former teammates and family members, including his wife, young daughter, and brother Marc.
Gasol became NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He averaged 17 points and 9.2 rebounds in 1,226 regular season games with five NBA teams: the Memphis Grizzlies, the Chicago Bulls, the Spurs from San Antonio and the Milwaukee Bucks.
He was the third pick in the NBA draft in 2001, taken by Atlanta to later be traded to Memphis.
His last NBA game was with the Bucks in 2019. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers that year, but was never able to play for them.
Gasol won the world championship with Spain in 2006, as well as European titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. He also won Olympic silver medals at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games, as well as bronze at Rio de Janeiro 2016.
He was recently chosen to represent athletes for the next six years before the International Olympic Committee.
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