After scoring more than 26,000 points and grabbing more than 14,000 rebounds over more than two decades, it’s time for recognition. He is the step from player to icon after achieving two NBA rings and 11 medals with Spain, four gold, as well as winning four titles with Barça. Having achieved almost every goal imaginable for a basketball player, Pau Gasol is reaping the rewards of a career that is virtually unmatched. Just a few days after his retirement after the Tokyo Games, in 2021, the Government of Spain awarded him the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, the highest distinction for an athlete. The Generalitat de Catalunya was no less with that of Sant Boi and awarded him the Creu de Sant Jordi a month later. The Lakers, where he was champion in 2009 and 2010, elevated him to legend last March with the retirement of his number 16. And on August 12 he will close a circle of glory with his entry into the Hall of Fame.

“It is being a special year. Emotional and overwhelming. it surpasses me They are unique experiences, it is difficult to prepare for them. I am very excited, looking forward to it. Let’s see if I can enjoy it. It’s hard for me to take it in. It will be a magical moment, ”explained the Catalan, dressed in a shirt of his beloved Kobe Bryant, in a telematic act with the media, including La Vanguardia. Two myths such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Toni Kukoc will be in charge of presenting Gasol at an event that will take place in Springfield (Massachusetts), the city where James Naismith had the idea of ??putting a ball in a basket of peaches in 1891.

“I try to find peace of mind. I write ideas. I want to be spontaneous, close ”, he indicated about the speech, of more than ten minutes, that he will give to those present. The considered best Spanish player in history will enter this select group along with other stars of the sport of the basket such as Dwyane Wade and coach Gregg Popovich, as well as famous ex-players from the old continent such as Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker. “I am very clear that this is also thanks to the Europeans who took the step of going to the NBA when no one was going. The first, including Fernando Martín. Our success has also influenced the following. It is important to have references that break barriers, ”said a Gasol who wanted to present his brother Marc’s entry into the Hall of Fame in the future.

The eldest of the Gasols is excited to receive the awards derived from his achievements as a player, but his challenge now is to transcend outside the parquet. “There are many players with many points and medals in sports, but what do we do with that? Without underestimating, what good is it apart from having it in the showcase. It is almost ephemeral, I would like to do things with impact and travel. Leaving a positive mark on society, helping to make it more equal, ”explained the former player, who assumes the“ great responsibility ”from him, the“ price of success ”.

Despite occasionally acting as a coach in the past All Star, the Catalan does not see himself “in the short term” in the band, since he has “many demands on a personal and professional level”, including the Gasol Foundation, his academy or his position as ambassador of FIBA ??and the NBA, in addition to his role in the IOC. “We’ll see if I open that door, there’s no rush,” said Gasol, who now prefers to watch the competition from a distance, such as the World Cup that begins on August 25. “A team identity was built. The new members of the team embraced her immediately. We are the number 1 of FIBA. You have to stick out your chest, but with humility. They will compete for sure ”, he concluded about the family, the seed along with his successes in the NBA that have catapulted him into the Hall of Fame.