On the way to Tokyo, they stop in the youth team: Pau Gasol signed today (Tuesday) in the ranks of Barcelona until the end of the season. After it was reported that the Catalans had reached an agreement on Saturday on the Spaniard’s return to the team after almost 20 years in exile, it has now become official.
The 40-year-old Gasol, it will be recalled, is still recovering from an injury that prevented him from playing basketball in the past year. Barcelona, according to the same reports, closely followed his recovery and offered him a role in the squad, with the goal of getting him back in shape for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The player himself wanted to return to the high levels, as claimed in Spain, so he signed an agreement with the team where he started his career until the end of the season.
Gasol arrived in Barcelona and will join a bunch of Sharas, with whom he has maintained a good relationship since their days together. In addition, the Big Man will meet his new teammate – Nikola Mirotic – with whom he has collaborated in Chicago and Milwaukee. As you may recall, he will return to the team he played for between the 1999-2001 seasons after two decades in the NBA. During his time overseas, Gasol has won two NBA championships, been selected four times to the top five in the various leagues in the world and has appeared six times in the All-Star. In 2002, he was named Rocky of the Year and later received honors and was named FIBA Player of the Year twice.
😍 Agreement for the incorporation of @PauGasol fins the final of the season
👏 Estem molt contents de veure’t de nou al Palau!
– Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) February 23, 2021
Very happy to come back home. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Force Barça! 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/6CewIY2Bil– Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 23, 2021
“I am very happy to announce that I am coming home and joining the Barcelona squad,” Pau Gasol announced on his various social media accounts. “I want to use my abilities and experience in the ranks of this club, at such an important stage of this season, and at the same time also progress physically and enter competitive competitive fitness. I am happy to return to the club where I started playing, very excited about this new opportunity. “I want to thank the Barça team for allowing this to happen.”
In an interview with the Spanish “AS”, national team coach Sergio Scariollo referred to the possibility of Gasol joining the squad for the summer Olympics: “To be in Tokyo you have to play a few months in a competitive team in a certain team. “He has to be patient and support him in the efforts he puts in.”