He was quite young, still a teenager, when his life took a radical turn. Every change always needs a process of adaptation but at 16 years old, its consequences are magnified and Marc Gasol, overnight, went from growing up in the Cornellà quarry to living in the United States. His older brother had been selected in third position of the prestigious NBA draft by Atlanta Hawkswho ended up transferring their rights to the Grizzlies de Memphis. And to Tennessee they went, one and also the other. In Pau, to write the first chapters of a prolific career in the most spectacular and prestigious basketball competition on the planet. Marc, not yet old enough or having a curriculum vitae to enter, to study there and, of course, to keep playing. The stage lasted a couple of years. Until 2003 he competed in the Lausanne Collegiate School, becoming quite the benchmark on the court, touching the ceiling with records of points and rebounds beyond the reach of most. Several universities inquired about him, but he had an idea in mind and he did not betray it: return to Barcelona, triumph at the Palau and, if possible, follow his brother’s path. Years later, the careers of one and the other are quite similar, with the obvious differences, successes and failures. Marc Gasol has been an NBA champion and previously tasted the ACB with Barça. An irregular stage, just the step before living two wonderful years in Girona, a city that has once again welcomed him with open arms to exhaust his adventure on the slopes. This weekend, past and present mix again. At the age of 37, and now leading Básquet Girona, the club he chairs and of which he is the founder, he returns to the Palau. Stage that he has not set foot on as a visitor for more than 14 years.
Having closed the chapter on his first trip to the United States, in 2003 and just coming of age, Barça’s doors were opened to him again. This time, to be part of his first team and work under the orders ofSvetislav Pesic. Gasol made his debut on October 26 of that same year in the ACB, in a match, including victory, against Estudiantes. He only participated in 17 games and collected 123 minutes that season, but he was able to celebrate, from within, the League title. It was three years in a Blaugrana key, until 2006. Less participation than I would probably have liked, with 59 games in the ACB. Besides Pesic, he also trained with Joan Montes, Manolo Flores i Dusko Ivanovic. He would never become an indisputable and transcendent headliner, at least for appearances on the court. Only one course, the last one, exceeded twenty.
It was then that he changed the Palau to Fontajau, where he was reborn, where he finally felt important and lived two years that, as he himself has always acknowledged, he will never forget. He would reunite with Pesic, first, and then train him Peter Martinez. Akasvayu Girona goes exceed 70 matches in the ACB between two seasons, from 2006 to 2008, also competing and winning in Europe. The step before his successful jump to the NBA, where he has been until four days ago. Therefore, it is just now, at 37 years old, when he has the opportunity to play at the Palau again. He will do it this Sunday. In addition, it has the thorn stuck from never having won as a visitor because the four times he played there wearing the Akasvayu shirt ended with Barça winning.
The most recent precedent, at the beginning of March 2008. A 78-58, with 15 points from the pivot, his best scoring mark as a foreigner in the Barcelona stadium. They also fell there in a league game the previous year, with 10 points and a 96-67 result. That season, of course, they would face each other again because both teams met in the first round of the play-off for the title. In the Palace, two chapters. An 80-69 with 8 points from Marc Gasol and shortly after, full stop with an 84-77 and 4 points. Sunday, new assault 14 and a half years after the last time. A lot of time has passed. Marc Gasol will recall, for sure, a good pile of memories.
Eric Vila makes his debut in a list of players called up by the Spanish national team
The great performance ofEric Villa with Básquet Girona this season in the ACB does not go unnoticed. Bescanó’s pivot winger has been rewarded by entering for the first time in Sergio Scariolo’s call-up to play in the third and fourth qualifying days for the 2023 World Cup. Scariolo has named 16 players, including Vila himself and also another from Girona, as is Reyer Venezia’s pivot Mestre Yankuba Sima.
The Spanish expedition will travel on Monday of next week to Bologna to start preparing the duels against Italy in Pesaro (Friday the 11th from 21:00 hours) and the Netherlands in Huelva (Monday the 14th at 20:30 hours).
Apart from Vila, the former player of Basketball Girona Pep Busquets (now at Joventut Badalona) is also making his debut on the list. tp girona
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