After scoring more than 26,000 points and grabbing more than 14,000 rebounds over the course of more than two decades, it's time for recognition. It is the step from player to icon after getting 2 NBA rings and 11 medals with Spain, 4 gold, in addition to winning 4 titles with Barça. Having achieved almost all the goals imaginable for a basketball player, Pau Gasol is reaping the rewards of a virtually unparalleled career. 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 most important distinction for an athlete. The Generalitat de Catalunya was no less with Sant Boi and awarded him the Cross of Sant Jordi a month later. The Lakers, with whom he was champion in 2009 and 2010, elevated him to the category of legend in March by retiring his number 16. And on August 12 he will close a circle of glory with his entry into the Hall of hunger
"It is being a special year. Emotional and overwhelming. It surpasses me. They are unique experiences, it is difficult to prepare for them. I'm very excited, I can't wait for it to arrive. Let's see if I can enjoy it. It's hard for me to assimilate it. It will be a magical moment", explained the Catalan, dressed in a shirt of his beloved Kobe Bryant, in a telematic event with the media, including La Vanguardia. Two legends like Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Toni Kukoc will be in charge of presenting Gasol in 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 said about the speech, of more than ten minutes, that he will make to the attendees. Considered the best Spanish player in history, he will enter this select group with other basketball stars such as Dwyane Wade and coach Gregg Popovich, as well as illustrious former 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 there. The first, among them Fernando Martín. Our success has also influenced the following. It is important to have references that break down barriers", said a Gasol who said that he wishes in the future to present his brother Marc's entry into the Hall of Fame.
The eldest of the Gasols receives with enthusiasm the awards derived from his achievements as a player, but the challenge now is to transcend beyond the parquet. "There are many players with many points and medals in sports, but what do we do with this. No disrespect, what is it for other than to have it in the display case. It is almost ephemeral, I would like to do things with impact and distance. To leave a positive mark on society, to help make it more equal", said the ex-player, who assumes his "great responsibility", the "price of success".
Despite serving as a trainer in the past All-Star, the Catalan does not see himself "in the short term" in the band, since he has "many demands in the personal and professional sphere", among which Gasol Foundation, his academy or his position as an ambassador for 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 at a distance, like the World Cup that starts on August 25. "A team identity was built. The new members of the selection embraced her immediately. We are number one in FIBA. You have to get off your chest, but with humility. They will compete for sure", he concluded about the family, the germ together with his successes in the NBA that have catapulted him into the Hall of Fame.
