Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol both announced their retirement from the Spanish national team after the loss to Team USA overnight at the Tokyo Olympics. While Marc is going to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22, Pau still has to make a decision on his basketball future.
After these announcements, Frenchman Rudy Gobert took to Twitter to congratulate Pau Gasol on his incredible career playing for Spain:
Felicitades @paugasol for your amazing career, thank you for all the battles and the memories, and for all the young kids from Europe like myself that you inspired 🙏🏽🙌🏽🇪🇸. #Legend
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) August 3, 2021
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Pau Gasol enjoyed a 20-year career with the national team. His first competition with the senior team came in 2001 at EuroBasket after playing for the junior squad. Spain got bronze in that tournament and then consistently medaled in the event over Gasol's career. He won silver in 2003 and 2007, gold in 2009, 2011 and 2015, and another bronze in 2017. The big man also won gold at the FIBA World Championship in 2006.
In the Olympics, Spain won silver in 2008 and 2012, with losses to Team USA in both gold-medal games. In 2016, Spain lost to Team USA in the semifinals. There will be no medal this time around after another loss to the Americans.
While Pau and Marc Gasol aren't going out with a medal in these Olympics, we can only appreciate what the brothers gave to the Spanish national team. It was a hell of a run for these guys, and this decision ends an incredible era of basketball for the country. Spain will continue to be one of the best countries in the world at basketball, but it won't be the same without the Gasols.
Salute to Pau Gasol!
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