Grizzlies legend Pau Gasol announces retirement from basketball

MADRID (AP/WMC) — Pau Gasol has announced his retirement from basketball to put an end to a career of more than two decades that earned him two NBA titles and a world championship gold with Spain’s national team.

The 41-year-old Gasol had already announced his farewell from international basketball in August after Spain lost to the United States in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics.

Gasol had been playing with Spanish club Barcelona since February. His career had stalled before that because a left-foot stress fracture that lingered and kept him from playing for nearly two years.

Gasol won his two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He spent seven seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies after being drafted and traded by the Atlanta Hawks in 2001. He won NBA Rookie of the Year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Gasol is a six-time All Star and was named to the All-NBA list four times.