Pau Gasol Skips World Championship due to LA Lakers NBA Finals
The Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol will not be suiting up when the Spain National Basketball Team defends their title in the 2010 World Basketball Championships in Turkey on August 28.
The 7-foot Spaniard decided to skip the vent after the Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the third straight year. In his official statement, Gasol said that it will be difficult for him to suit up for the national team after the long NBA season that he played with Los Angeles.
"We concluded that after another long NBA season, coupled with my participation at the highest level in all club competitions and the national team during these past years, makes it very difficult physically to face an important challenge as the World Cup of basketball.” Gasol said in his own website.
The 30-year old power forward anchored Spain to a gold medal finish in the 2006 World Basketball Championship when they defeated Greece in the Finals. He was named as the tournament Most Valuable although he missed the finals due to an injury.
Gasol cited his health as one of the reasons why he decided to rest after the NBA Season.
"This year I have suffered two major muscle injuries, the first in my career, and I firmly believe it is time to rest. I think the best way is to choose an appropriate time to rest first, rather than for your body to decide for you at the most inopportune time.” He said.
Gasol remained confident that his team will be performing well in the upcoming World Championships since the core of the team remains intact. He also said that the experiences they had before and new blood of players to be included in the lineup will make Spain a formidable team in Turkey.
"I will try to be with the team as long as possible to offer my full support. In conclusion, I know that everyone knows my commitment with this team, and I regret this decision, but in the last four years I'm probably one of the players who have played more games in the world, having reached the finals of all the disputed contests with the Lakers and Spain. Now my body is calling for a temporary relief.”
Gasol, who also led Spain to it’s first ever EuroBasket title in 2009, vowed to be back in the future tournaments for Spain including the 2012 London Olympics.
With Gasol’s absence, Spain will have to rely to the other talented players in their team like Pau’s brother Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies, Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers, 2009 NBA Draftee Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro, and veteran Jorge Garbajosa.
The much-improved Marc Gasol will fill in the shoes vacated by his brother. He averaged 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks for the Memphis Grizzlies last season and he’s slowly emerging as one of the best centers in the NBA. The younger Gasol expected that his brother will not be with them even before the playoffs but he also remains optimistic about their chances in Turkey.
“I have no doubts that Pau will not be there, regardless of the playoffs. It has been 12 or 13 consecutive years with the national team and without any stop, with the exception of the EuroBasket in Belgrade.” Marc said.
“We will have to do the best thing possible without him and it will be a beautiful and new experience, a new challenge for this team.”
Spain was bracketed in Group D and will play Canada, Lithuania, France, New Zealand, and Lebanon in the preliminary rounds of the World Basketball Championships.
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