Confirming our previous report, 6-time All-Star Pau Gasol has officially announced his retirement from professional basketball.
The Spaniard, who spent the last season playing for his hometown team FC Barcelona, was one of the most beloved, respected, and successful foreign players in NBA history:
"I'm here to let you all know what you may have guessed already: I'm retiring from professional basketball. This is a hard decision to make after so many years. It's a decision I gave a lot of thought to. You have to know when to leave and enjoy. I wanted to finish my career playing, not in crotches and after surgery," the two-time NBA Champion said in a press conference.
"People always told me that the important thing wasn't to make it (to the NBA) but staying there. I tried not only to stay there but to always be better and never set limits on myself. For that, I had the help of countless people who had a great influence in my career," Gasol added.
Gasol paved his way to the NBA with the utmost professionalism and a remarkable work ethic. He went through thick and thin with Kobe Bryant and helped the Los Angeles Lakers get back to the top of the world after some years of struggles.
Pau won a couple of NBA Championships and scored 20,894 career points to go along with 11,305 rebounds, 3,925 assists, and 1,941 blocks. He became one of the most prominent and influential figures in international basketball and opened the door for many foreign prospects to make it to the NBA.
Outside of the league, Gasol became a basketball legend, winning multiple FIBA Europe Player of the Year awards and leading his country to 11 medals including the FIBA World Cup, Olympics, and EuroBasket.
It's time to get some rest, Pau, you've earned it.
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