By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Pau Gasol and Barcelona have officially penned a deal for the remainder of the season, the player confirmed Tuesday. Gasol, 40, will make his return to Europe for the first time since nearly two decades when he last played for Barcelona.
The news was initially leaked on Saturday, Gasol didn’t confirm but three days later, as he had promised, he made the announcement himself.
Very happy to come back home.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Força Barça! ?? pic.twitter.com/6CewIY2Bil— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 23, 2021
After being waived by the Portland Trail Blazers in November 2020, Barcelona was among the top options for the legendary Spanish big man, while in the meantime he aimed to improve physically and make himself available for the Spanish NT ahead of the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Gasol’s long and prosperous career started with Barcelona back in 1998, where he stayed until the 2000-01 season before being selected with the third overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
After winning the NBA championship twice with the Los Angeles Lakers (2009, 2010) and leading the Spanish NT to a series of successes in the past two decades, Gasol is back in Europe to reunite with former teammate Sarunas Jasikevicius, though this time the roles will be reversed, as Saras is now the Barcelona boss.
Here is Gasol’s message upon his signing with Barcelona:
A message from @paugasol pic.twitter.com/VfEsg7jEwZ
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) February 23, 2021