Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol, led Spain to their third EuroBasket gold in seven years and was named MVP with averages of 25.5 points on 57.5% shooting with 8.8 rebounds in nine games.
“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. It is something that I really enjoy and I think that it allows me to make other people happy in the process and gives me the opportunities to do something beyond basketball and beyond sport, which is something I enjoy and appreciate.”
