Pau Gasol of Barcelona, Spain, the greatest Spanish basketball player of all-time, retired on Tuesday at the age of 41 according to ESPN. Gasol ranks number one on the all-time list among Spanish basketball players in the NBA in points (20894), field goals made (7980), free throws made (4755), offensive rebounds (3085), defensive rebounds (8220), total rebounds (11305), and blocks (1941).
Gasol was an All-Star with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2005-06, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11, and the Chicago Bulls in 2014-15, and 2015-16. He also played with the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks. Gasol’s best season from a point perspective was in 2005-06, when he had a career-high 1628 points.
A center and power forward, Gasol averaged a double-double five times in his career. He had 18.3 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per game with the Lakers in 2009-10, 18.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game with the Lakers in 2010-11, 17.4 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game with the Lakers in 2011-12, 18.5 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game with the Bulls in 2014-15, and 16.5 points per game and 11 rebounds per game with the Bulls in 2015-16.
Gasol has not played since the 2018-19 season when he shared his time with the Spurs and Bucks. He only averaged 3.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds. A foot injury kept him from playing in the 2019-20 season, and in 2020-21, Gasol played professionally in his birthplace of Barcelona.
Initially the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 NBA Draft, Gasol was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies, before the franchise moved to Memphis. In his rookie season with Memphis in 2001-02, he became the first player from outside the United States to win the NBA rookie of the year. He averaged 17.6 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 2.1 blocks per game.
Twice Gasol won the NBA Finals with the Lakers. In 2009, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic in five games, and in 2010, the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in seven games.
On the international level, Gasol won the gold medal for Spain at the 2006 World Cup in Japan. He also won the silver medal for Spain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Pau Gasol is also the brother of Marc Gasol, who last played with the Lakers in 2020-21.
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