Gustavo Ayon comes out of retirement / News - Basketnews.com

Gustavo Ayon has signed for Venados de Mazatlan in the CIBACOPA League, where he started his career. The league will pay tribute to Ayon, who has been the face of national basketball in Mexico for the past 15 years.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Mexican basketball legend Gustavo Ayon returns to professional basketball.

Gustavo Ayon

Position:C, PFAge:38Height:208 cmWeight:114 kgBirth place:MexicoProfileNewsStatistics

The 38-year-old is back in the CIBACOPA League, an eight-team competition based in Northwestern Mexico, where he began his professional career.

Ayon signed for Venados de Mazatlan and will play here during the final stretch of the 2023 season.

"CIBACOPA will pay tribute to Ayon who has been the face of national basketball for the last 15 years. The fans of Venados de Mazatlan and the seven remaining teams will be able to see a returning legend on the CIBACOPA courts for his last dance, ending his career where it all began," the official league announcement reads.

Ayon initially said goodbye to basketball last August in a game in which a team of his friends faced the Mexican national team.

"It didn't take me long to make this decision. Throughout my career, I have learned to pay attention to my body, when I could do things well and when I couldn't," Ayon said back then. "It takes more than 24 hours for me to recover after a game. I am retiring fully and at a good basketball level."

A Real Madrid legend comes back to basketball ahead of FIBA World Cup 2023, with Mexico being a part of the 32-team pool. Some speculate that Ayon could also help the national team in the upcoming international basketball event.

In 2014, Ayon helped Mexico to qualify for their first World Cup in 40 years. Ayon also helped Mexico to win the FIBA ​​Americas Championship title in 2013 and gold at Centrobasket in 2014, in both tournaments becoming the MVP.

Ayon played 340 official games between 2014 and 2019 with Real Madrid. The 2.08-meter center won two EuroLeague titles, as well as one Intercontinental Cup, four ACB leagues, three Spanish Cups, and two Super Cups.

Ayon was the third Mexican player ever in the NBA after Horacio Llamas and Eduardo Najera. In the NBA, he appeared in 135 games and averaged 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest.

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