Pau Gasol receives prestigious honor from Government of Catalonia / News - Basketnews.com

Pau Gasol

Position:PFAge:41Height:213 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:Barcelona, SpainProfileNewsStatistics

The Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol was awarded by the Government of Catalonia with one of the highest distinctions in the region - the Sant Jordi Cross.

"It's an honor to receive this distinction. I am a very lucky person. I have been successful, but from a very young age, I understood that success is nothing if it's not accompanied by the act of helping others, especially the most vulnerable.

I have always been a team player, that is why I want to thank all my teammates, coaches, and people who have had an impact on my life and my career," the 41-year-old spoke after receiving the award.

Gasol joined previous FC Barcelona recipients of such honor: Epi (1996), Johan Cruyff (2006), Tomas Barris (2018), and Lionel Messi (2019).

Pau Gasol is one of the most decorated international basketball players ever. He is a two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, six-time NBA All-Star, and 2002 Rookie of the Year.

He has NBA career averages of 17 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 1226 games.

Gasol is one of just four NBA players to record more than 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists, and 1,500 blocks in a career, joining Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

In the international arena, he led Spain to gold medals at the 2006 World Cup and the EuroBasket in 2009, 2011, and 2015.

Gasol also has silver medals from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and 2003, 2007 EuroBasket tournaments. To complete his collection of all colors, Pau has bronze medals from the 2016 Olympics and 2001 and 2017 European championships.

Moreover, the 3rd overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft is a three-time Liga ACB champion (1999, 2001, 2021) and ACB Finals MVP (2001) with Barca.

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