Marc Gasol, a legendary Spanish basketball player, announced his retirement from the sport on January 31st. He had a terrific career spanning 20 seasons as a professional, 13 of which were in the NBA.

This three-time NBA all-star won the title in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors; he is Pau Gasol’s younger brother. Pau retired in October 2021 after winning two NBA championships.

According to Marc Gasol, “it’s the moment to take a step to the side and share everything basketball has taught me and given me” during a news conference.

“Some serious (physical) consequences could have resulted if I continued playing, so it was time for me to do it.”

The 39-year-old center began his professional career in 2003 with his hometown club Barcelona, where he won the league title in his first year.

After joining CB Girona, Gasol’s career took off. He helped Spain win the 2006 and 2019 World Cups, as well as the 2009 and 2011 European Championships.

As a member of the 2008 trade that sent Pau Gasol to the Lakers, he signed with the Grizzlies.

While playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020–21, Marc Gasol also spent thirteen years in the US.

Gasol played for Basquet Girona, the Catalonian team he co-founded in 2014, again from 2021 to 2023.

He elected not to participate in the current season’s squad after playing through an ιnjury last year. The AFP

Retired NBA star Marc Gasol’s career statistics and honors

Among the greatest Spanish basketball players of all time, Pau Gasol made an explosive debut in the NBA in the early 2000s. In the same moment that Pau was destroying the league, his little brother was getting ready to do the same.

Instantly becoming a household nаme, Marc Gasol made his debut in 2008 with the Memphis Grizzlies—the same franchise that gave Pau his start. Marc may not have been able to match Pau’s enormous peak, but for about ten years he was one of the game’s top centers. On Wednesday, he made the announcement that he was retiring from basketball.The NBA career of Marc Gasol was legendary.After the 2016 season, when the Warriors proved to the world how crucial three-point shooting is, Gasol started to grow his wingspan. He was unexpectedly effective from beyond the arc for the following five seasons, averaging over three 3-pointers each game.

He had his finest season in 2016 around the time he switched up his play style. In addition to his typical six or more boards, he also averaged a career-high 19.5 points and 4.6 assists per game.

His Grizzlies teams were in the playoffs six times, but they never really got going. The Toronto Raptors, who included Gasol, didn’t have a legitimate shot at the playoffs until 2019. Playing more than 28 minutes per game in the NBA Finals against the Warriors and making significant contributions on both ends, Gasol was crucial to Toronto’s championship.Prior to his last season with the Lakers, Gasol played for the Raptors for one more year. After that, he retired after playing for Girona for a number of seasons.

In his NBA career, Gasol averaged 14.0 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game, 1.4 boards per game, 0.9 assists per game, 48.1 field goals per game, and 36% from beyond the arc. He was lauded for these things.

The 2019 Toronto Raptors won the NBA title.