Pau Gasol, 40, would play for Barcelona until the end of the season, they confirmed to ESPN Sports sources close to the azulgrana club, from where the operation was not denied, with the aim of accelerating its set-up course to the Olympic Games of Tokyo. Gasol himself said on his social media that he would not hurt her again.
The Catalan pivot wing has been away from the tracks since May 10, 2019 due to a fracture in his left foot.
In the thread of the news that has appeared, I want to communicate that I am still focused on my recovery and I am not yet ready to return to the track. When I have something to advertise, I will do so through my social media.
Thank you for your support!
– Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 20, 2021
The signing of Gasol by Barça, to which the player was offered directly, is pending a medical examination, which should be carried out imminently, before being placed under the orders of Sharunas Jasikevicius, coach of the Barça team and with whom he already shared a Barça dressing room in the 2000-01 season, before making the leap to the NBA.
His contract, until the end of the year, would have a very small financial cost for the club.
At Barça, Gasol will also meet Montenegrin Nikola Mirotic, with whom he was already a teammate between 2014 and 2016 in the Chicago Bulls and in 2019 in the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Catalan, considered the best player in history in Spain, was cut by the Portland Trail-Blazers in November 2019, four months after his signing, due to problems with his recovery from his injury, which has kept him inactive. Since then .
Gasol made his professional debut in 1999 with Barça and rose to fame until the end of the 2000-01 season, when he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks at No. 3 in the 2001 draft (behind Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler), to be transferred immediately to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Champion of the League and the Cup with Barcelona in his first stage, with his signing by the azulgrana club reinforces the position with the clear objective to reinforce his candidacy to the title of the Euroleague, unique title that at level of clubs missing in the list of a Gasol.
In 2009 and 2010, he won the NBA ring with the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition, with the Spanish selection champion of the World in 2006 and of Europe in 2009, 2011 and 2015 proclaimed itself. In the Olympic Games, he obtained the silver medal in 2008 and 2012 and the one of bronze in 2016.