Pau Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, ig returning to where his pro career started more than 20 years ago.
Pau Gasol is going home, announcing Tuesday that he will sign to play with FC Barcelona again and rejoin the franchise with which he started his professional basketball career more than 20 years ago. Gasol is a six-time NBA All-Star, winning a pair of championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 40-year-old who was born in Barcelona last appeared in the NBA on March 10, 2019, for Milwaukee. “I’m happy to return to the club where I began, and I’m excited about this new opportunity,” he wrote in a post on social media. “I hope to contribute to the first team very soon. I want to thank Barca and its technical staff for making it possible to join them.” Gasol debuted for Barcelona in the 1998-99 season, was part of two Liga ACB — the top Spanish league — championships in three years, then was the No.3 pick in the 2001 NBA draft. He was the rookie of the year for Memphis in 2002, won three Olympic medals with Spain and was part of the team that won the FIBA world championship, now called the Basketball World Cup, in 2006. The PGA of America announced the decision Tuesday. The move to play with limited spectator capacity due to coronavirus concerns was made in coordination with the state of South Carolina, area medical authorities, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were an estimated 30,000 people per day when Rory McIlroy won the 2012 event on Kiawah Island. PGA of America president Jim Richerson said organizers hoped to open the event to the same sellout crowds as nine years ago, but was grateful to have golf fans on hand for this one, unlike the 2020 tournament. Collin Morikawa won the event at TPC Harding Park in front of no spectators. Coco Gauff’s decision to extend her stay Down Under after a second-round loss at the Australian Open is paying off, at least so far. The 16-year-old American beat Jasmine Paolini 6-4,6-7 (4),6-2 on Tuesday in Adelaide, Australia, in a first-round match at the Adelaide International. It follows Gauff’s two wins in weekend qualifying in the South Australian state capital to advance to the main draw.
