The official announcement of the new members of the Naismith Hall of Fame arrives at this time of year, in the time of the university Final Four that paralyzes USAand in the generation of 2023 extra carats. The journalist has advanced to the NCAA Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN) to confirm (the official announcement will be on April 1) some of the names that will be present at the ceremony on August 12 in Springfield. And Pau Gasol will be there to swell both his record and that of Spanish basketball in a splendid year in which, being the one after his retirement, he has also seen his number (16) retired in the Lakers in an iconic celebration.
In addition to Pau there will be other great recent legends of the NBA that will not be left out either. Dwyane Wade and the europeans Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Tony Parker (France) will be representing the players. Gregg Popovichstill active with the Spurs, will do so with the geniuses on the bench. Becky Hammondformerly of the Spanish league and also Pop’s assistant when he was in San Antonio, will be the highest representative of the WNBA after winning the title with the Aces in her first opportunity as head coach.
SPECIAL | Pau Gasol, always a ‘laker’
Pau will join the two representatives of Spanish basketball so far next summer who fill the list of the Massachusetts event. Two legendary technicians, already deceased, passed through there before: Pedro Ferrándiz and Antonio Díaz-Miguel.
As figures in the international arena in a Hall of Fame that rewards success, mainly, success in the United States was also Spanish Lolo Sainzthe bosnian Mirza Delibasicthe serbian dusan ivkovic or the argentinian edward lamas.
The list is not complete, this leak simply reveals the names with the most impact.
Pau, born in 1980, trained and retired in Barcelona, achieved great success in the NBA from 2003 until his departure in 2020. In the great North American league he was champion twice, both with the Lakers, and was on the Bucks roster, Bulls or Spurs in addition to the team that gave him the opportunity to make a big leap: Memphis Grizzlies (where his brother Marc would later play). He accumulated 1,226 games there, 20,894 points and 11,305 rebounds, was an All-Star six times and was four times in the best quintets promoted by the League. His success expanded to the field of FIBA competitions: with the Spanish National Team in the Olympic Games he has two silver and one bronze and is a European champion (2009, 2011, 2015 plus four other medals) and world champion (2006). .
The August event will be divided into two days. In the first, a press conference, an autograph session and the presentation of the commemorative ring and jacket for each chosen person. In the second, in addition to a reception for VIPs, the ceremony itself will arrive, in which each one will be able to dedicate a speech to the public about this recognition.
