MARC Gasol is retiring from basketball, calling time on a career in which he won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors and two World Cup gold medals with Spain.
The 39-year-old, younger brother of Pau Gasol who won back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, announced his decision at a press conference on Wednesday in Barcelona (Thursday in Manila).
“There’s a part of me that still said I could play. But no–you’ve got to pour water on that fire,” Gasol said.
“I wouldn’t change a second of what has happened to me in these 20 years. Not even the screw-ups. I don’t have a single thorn in my side. I’m very lucky.”
The 6-11 forward played in the NBA for 13 seasons, 11 of them with the Memphis Grizzlies where he is second in the all-time scoring list. He was traded to the Raptors in 2019 and helped Toronto to their first Larry O’Brien trophy as NBA champions.
He was a key member of Spain’s World Cup teams in 2006 and 2019 and helped his country win Olympic silver medals in 2008 and 2012.
“Marc Gasol leaves a legacy of success and values that makes him (part of) HISTORY of Spanish basketball,” Elisa Aguilar, the president of the Spanish Basketball Federation, posted on social media platform X.
