Pau Gasol believes the Spanish national team, which lost to Team USA four years ago, has a legitimate shot at leaving the London 2012 Summer Olympics with the goal medal in men's basketball.
The London 2012 Summer Olympics will be filled with elite talent, but Pau Gasol believe his Spanish national team can win gold. (AP Photo)
Playing alongside Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez and his brother, Marc, Gasol will have good company on the court.
“My expectations are high,†Gasol said in an interview with FIBA.com “It will be a tough competition for everyone but I’m looking forward to being in London. My teammates and I will fight for the gold medal. I think that we can win the tournament. We have a lot of talent and everyone will be very motivated to give it their all on the court. We’re afraid of no one.â€
Should Spain and the U.S. meet in the gold medal game, injuries will be an issue for both sides. Point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL but was also confident about Spain’s chances when talking with Kobe Bryant prior to suffering the injury. U.S. stars Dwight Howard (back surgery) and Derrick Rose (torn ACL) are out for the Olympics as well.
Adding to the competition are several teams filled with NBA players who believe they can win Olympic gold. France, led by Tony Parker, could have an all-NBA starting five, and Argentina has veterans Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola at the forefront of its attack.
Gasol talked about a possible rematch with Team USA but acknowledged several other teams are also in the mix.
“Sometimes I think about that game (in 2008). But it will be different in London. It would be good to have a rematch this summer because the USA national team is always a strong opponent," Gasol told FIBA.com. "But it would be a huge mistake for everyone to consider USA and Spain as the only contenders for the gold medal. Every team will be giving their best to reach the medals.â€
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