Kori Ellis
05-26-2005, 03:32 PM
ESP - Gasol may play in Belgrade as NBA labour dispute looms
Labour strife in the NBA could open the door for Pau Gasol to play for Spain at the European Championships, which will serve as a qualifying event for FIBA World Championship 2006.
Gasol, his country's leading player who this season signed a lucrative contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies, lost two months of the campaign with a foot injury but returned near the end and took part in the play-offs.
He has strongly hinted that he will miss the Eurobasket, however, due to concerns about his foot.
NBA owners and players are currently working on a new labour agreement, and if one is not reached there may be a delay to the start of the season as there was in 1998 during the infamous NBA lockout.
Gasol, speaking on his official website http://www.paugasol.com/, said: "It appears that the negotiations are broken and there are no set dates for a new meeting.
"It's clear that one of the few possibilities that I have in playing at the Europeans in Belgrade is that the season doesn't start on time.
"With this delay, I would win time and perhaps I would be able to be with the national team which is something that everyone knows that I am passionate about.
"I think that it's something that will be decided in mid-July, a few days prior to Mario Pesquera's team announcement.
"I will have to talk to the executive team of the Grizzlies and find out how the negotiations are going with the NBA, and especially to know where it is heading in order to take a decision that I hope will be the right one."
Labour strife in the NBA could open the door for Pau Gasol to play for Spain at the European Championships, which will serve as a qualifying event for FIBA World Championship 2006.
Gasol, his country's leading player who this season signed a lucrative contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies, lost two months of the campaign with a foot injury but returned near the end and took part in the play-offs.
He has strongly hinted that he will miss the Eurobasket, however, due to concerns about his foot.
NBA owners and players are currently working on a new labour agreement, and if one is not reached there may be a delay to the start of the season as there was in 1998 during the infamous NBA lockout.
Gasol, speaking on his official website http://www.paugasol.com/, said: "It appears that the negotiations are broken and there are no set dates for a new meeting.
"It's clear that one of the few possibilities that I have in playing at the Europeans in Belgrade is that the season doesn't start on time.
"With this delay, I would win time and perhaps I would be able to be with the national team which is something that everyone knows that I am passionate about.
"I think that it's something that will be decided in mid-July, a few days prior to Mario Pesquera's team announcement.
"I will have to talk to the executive team of the Grizzlies and find out how the negotiations are going with the NBA, and especially to know where it is heading in order to take a decision that I hope will be the right one."