VALENCIA. Pau Gasol is already counting down the hours to become this Saturday the first Spanish player to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame, one more milestone for the legendary and extraordinary career of the man from Sant Boi.
Double NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Gasol will be one of the stars of this ceremony along with other stars of the sport such as Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich.
The gala will take place at Symphony Hall in Springfield (Massachusetts, USA) at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday (0 GMT on Sunday).
However, the official programming of The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for its class of 2023 will begin this Friday with a press conference with the honorees that will be held at the Mohegan Sun hotel and casino in Uncasville (Connecticut, USA) to from 2:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT).
This tribute to Gasol comes just five months after the Lakers, the team in which he formed an unforgettable duo with Kobe Bryant, retired his jersey with the number 16.
“This year is being very special. On an emotional level, really overwhelming,” the Catalan commented last week in a videoconference meeting with Spanish media attended by EFE.
“These are experiences that are a bit beyond you because not even in the best of dreams can you imagine that they will remove your Lakers jersey and enter the Hall of Fame. You dream of playing with the best in the best league in the world, do the best possible and enjoy it. And well, I suppose that when you have done very well this type of honor comes to you”, he added.
Gasol will join trainers Pedro Ferrándiz and Antonio Díaz-Miguel as the only Spanish representatives in the Hall of Fame.
Two other basketball legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Toni Kukoc will be Gasol’s presenters at the ceremony.
A six-time NBA All-Star, Gasol, 43, also left an indelible mark on the Spanish team, with which he won the 2006 World Cup, the 2009, 2011 and 2015 Eurobasket as well as three Olympic medals (silver in Beijing 2008 and London 2012; and bronze in Rio 2016).
Gasol’s example and his eternal legacy now continue to inspire the new generations of Spanish basketball, so much so that his mark can be traced in the recent gold medals of the 2019 World Cup and the 2022 Eurobasket.
Off the courts, Gasol has also stood out for his social work through his foundation against childhood obesity and which promotes a healthy life among the little ones.
2023-08-10 17:55:20
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