Pau Gasol talks on European players dominance and possibility to join front office in NBA / News - Basketnews.com

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Pau Gasol is officially from basketball retired since last November. The Spanish icon is focused on new professional goals such as the International Olympic Committee, from where he was elected until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Pau Gasol

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

Gasol was the last guest of JJ Redick's The Old Man & The Three podcast, where he talked about his current concerns, his relationship with Kobe Bryant, and a possible new job with the Golden State Warriors.

"I'm exploring a potential role with a team," Gasol said. "I've been going a little bit under the radar with the Warriors, and they've kind of opened their doors for me to come in and be part of meetings," he added.

"But again, I don't want to rush into anything just yet. I want to get a feel, I want to learn, I want to observe, I want to see what kind of calls me, where I can get something that makes sense for me to gravitate into slowly. No rush right now, just enjoying what I have," concluded Pau.

Gasol, who is currently living in California with his wife and daughter, also talked about some of his Spanish teammates and what they could have done in the NBA.

"Honestly I was surprised that Navarro did not receive more offers to stay in the league. Felipe Reyes could have played in the NBA, while Sergio Llull I think would have made a difference in the NBA if he had chosen to play there."

The two times NBA champion with Los Angeles Lakers could not hide his pride regarding how important the international players have become in the league.

"Doncic, Jokic and Antetokounmpo are top-10 in the NBA. The last MVPs are Europeans, which is extraordinary. It is no longer about reaching and being an All-Star or winning a championship, it's about being the best every single game," said Pau proudly.

Asked about some memories with Kobe Bryant, Pau related one almost unknown to the big public.

"Kobe was excited since the first day I was traded to LA. I realized sooner how everything was going to be. I remember a time when he tested me.

After the Olympics Games in Bejing, back in 2008, I decided to take some time to rest. Going back to the Lakers, in the preseason, Phil Jackson canceled one of the practices and Kobe asked me to go on a one-on-one.

I hadn't been active since the summer. He kicked my ass, obviously. I was like, 'Slow down a bit, man, I'm going to end up burned'. He replied to me: 'There's no time to rest here'. It's a good way to understand how tough was his mentality," Gasol concluded.

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