It was an open secret. Marc Gasol will play for Basketball Girona, the club he founded in 2014. The pivot, who played his last official game on August 3 (the quarterfinals against the United States), revealed it at an event in Fontajau, the field that he will enjoy with the Gasol midfielder from now on. It was done by a graffiti artist who wrote “Marc Gasol, bentornat” (Marc Gasol, welcome back). Then the new player of the Catalan team came out.
At 36 years old, Marc preferred to prioritize his personal life, and return to Spain, after a turbulent year in Los Angeles. In the summer of 2020, he became engaged to the Lakers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but his weight in the team was diminishing throughout the season. He had one more year left on his contract with the Los Angeles franchise, but this one traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies (his first team in the NBA) and both parties broke the contract that bound them by mutual agreement.
Girona and Marc have a special bond. The pivot exploded in this city, in his second season with the team and before making the jump to the NBA, where he won a ring with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. In 2007-08 he was the MVP of the season after being the best in eleven days. Marc averaged 27.8 points and 8.3 rebounds that year.
Basketball Girona rose to the LEB Gold in the middle of the pandemic and last season he finished in 14th position. This course has not improved things much. It is 15th (out of 18 teams) with two wins (has won Juaristi, linked to Baskonia, and to CB Prat, Joventut affiliate) in nine games. The team has seven defeats, which has meant the departure of Carles Marco from the bench and the arrival of one of the most dominant centers in the history of Spanish basketball. His debut, in principle, will be on December 3 against Huesca (7:00 p.m.).