Pau Gasol earns EuroBasketball MVP trophy

Spanish big man Pau Gasol was awarded the EuroBasketball Championship MVP after his brilliant performance during the tournament as he propelled Spain to a gold medal over Lithuania Sunday.

Despite playing on one of the most depleted Spanish national teams he’s been on, Gasol turned in one of the gutsy performances in international basketball history. He averaged 25.6 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per contest during the EuroBasketball tournament.

In the final against Lithuania (80-63), Gasol went for 25 points and 12 rebounds to win his third EuroBasket title. But his showing against France was his featured achievement as he went off for an incredible 40-points in the semi-final.

Gasol said this tournament will be special to him, even though he’s won at this level before.

From FIBA:

I think it has special meaning and significance for sure, the freshly crowned champion expressed to media soon after receiving the MVP award. To be able to play at this level at this point in my career, after all I’ve accomplished and this team has accomplished, it’s something I’ll always be proud of. I love to play. I love this game, I have a big passion for this game and playing for Spain is something really special, something that I really enjoy and I think it’s very noticeable.

Last season with the Bulls, Gasol showed signs that his career may be experiencing a resurgence. He averaged 18.5 point per contest (best since 2011), and a career-high 11.8 rebounds on a Bulls team that finished it’s season in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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