The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known by the French acronym FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball) has named Spain’s legendary Pau Gasol as its Global Ambassador for the FIBA World Cup 2023.
This announcement was made in a timely manner with FIBA’s flagship men’s event seeing 200 days before it begins involving host countries Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Gasol has been an outstanding player as well in the FIBA World Cup in the past. He was first seen in the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, US — taking the lead for team Spain to reach fifth place. His stats at that time was a commendable sixth-leading scorer with an average of more than 19 points per game.
He also played a critical role as he gave an outstanding performance when he spearheaded team Spain’s glorious championship win at the 2006 World Cup in Japan. He exceeded his performance in the 2002 event and reached an average of 21.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while getting his shots in at an impressive 63.1% from the field.
Spain’s 2006 World Cup win also saw Gasol named MVP of the event despite being unable to play at the Final match due to an incurred injury.
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Pau Gasol at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014
In total, Gasol participated in three World Cup tournaments, five Olympic events and seven FIBA Eurobasket series.
The last time he was seen on the court was when the FIBA World Cup was hosted by Spain in 2014. Gasol then led Spain to six straight wins before there was an upset by France in the Quarter-Finals. His stellar performance didn’t go unnoticed for he was also considered part of the All-Star Five.
In the Olympic events, Gasol also helped Spain win silver medals in 2008 and 2012. He was also part of the Spanish team in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games when they were able to get the bronze.
With the EuroBasket series, Gasol was also one of the most decorated players. During the 2009 and 2015 EuroBasket tourneys, he was recognized as the MVP for Spain as the team captured the titles. He was also in the All-Star Five in 2011 as he helped lead the team to reach the top of the ranks.
Even if Spain wasn’t able to grab top honours at the EuroBaskets, Gasol was still in the All-Star Five in 2003 and 2007 with Spain finishing as runners-up. He was also included in the All-Star Five when Spain reached third place in 2001 and 2017.
Tracing even further back into his athletic history, Gasol already showed great potential when he was a member of Spain’s youth teams. He helped his country beat the US in the Final of the 1999 World Championship for Junior Men.
For 2023, the FIBA Basketball World Cup sees Gasol as among their global ambassadors including Argentina superstar Luis Scola.
“The World Cup is the toughest trophy in basketball to win,” Gasol said. “A winning team needs character and chemistry and teammates who will pick you up when you’re down.”
“This is a great honour for me to be a part of such a great team of basketball legends and to join Luis Scola, a true legend and one of my toughest rivals, in this role as Global Ambassador for the 2023 World Cup.”
Pau Gasol, FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Ambassador
The years of exceptional basketball performance have earned Gasol the admiration and respect of fans and fellow athletes. Since his retirement from the game after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he remains active in encouraging the younger generation to pursue sports.
Just a scant several months ago, Gasol served as FIBA’s Women’s Basketball World Cup Ambassador in 2022. He promoted the teams and the sport as he was seen present at courtside in Sydney. He is also an active member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission and follows through as an advisor, investor and activist in projects related to sports and well-being.
Kudos to the FIBA officials for carefully and meticulously choosing worthy ambassadors for the global event. The role of sports and its influence in the lives of generations is felt and seen with passion. It is also a great event to look forward to especially since part of the games will be held in the Philippines. What other details would you like us to feature here, folks? Just comment below and we’ll get right to it to have it on our pages for you. Ciao!
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 further info
The FIBA Basketball World Cup will have its 19th edition and will be seen across three host nations for the first time. Games will be in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.
For more information about the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, visit www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023 or follow the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
