At 39 years old, Pau Gasol probably still has a lot of wisdom to give for the Portland Trail Blazers. But given the Blazers’ current state, they couldn’t wait any longer for his foot to heal and opted to let him go.
Shortly after Gasol’s release was announced, the Spaniard received some inspiring words of support from his former Milwaukee Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Big brother @paugasol get your left foot right💪🏽💪🏽 and also get your HOF speech ready 🙏🏽
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) November 21, 2019
Regarded as one of the best European players to play in the NBA, the two-time NBA champion Gasol has certainly racked up a Hall of Fame-worthy career once he decides to hang it up.
After being bought out by the San Antonio Spurs last March, Gasol signed with the Bucks in a bid help the Mike Budenholzer-led team come out of the East. His bothersome ankle forced him to miss the entire playoffs, and only managed to suit up for three games in Milwaukee.
Still, he left a lasting impact to reigning MVP Antetokounmpo and developed a close bond with him despite their limited time together.
Gasol signed a one-year deal with the Blazers as a free agent in July, but failed to return to the court after an unsuccessful rehab process. There’s still no timetable for his return, but Gasol made it clear that he won’t be retiring and will just take a different role with the organization in the meantime.
The Blazers, meanwhile, are still trying to find a way to bounce back after a slow start to their 2019-20 NBA regular season campaign. If healthy, Gasol could have provided a much needed boost to Terry Stotts front court, who are also missing the services of Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic to injuries.
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