Updated: June 1, 2010, 1:06 PM ET

Gasol to miss worlds for Spain

ESPN.com news services

MADRID -- Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol says he will not help Spain defend its title at the world basketball championships because doctors say he needs a rest.

Gasol

Gasol says "present circumstances advise against my participation" in the championship in Turkey from Aug. 29-Sept. 12.

Gasol and the Lakers face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

In a statement on his website on Tuesday, Gasol says that in a grueling NBA season in which he's sustained the first two major muscle injuries of his career, "my body is calling for a temporary relief."

On Monday night before he made his decision, Gasol explained to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com why he was considering not participating.

"I understand what point of my career I'm in, how my body is feeling at this point in my career also and what I need to do in order to have a longer, healthier career," Gasol said.

"So, I'm just trying to take the right steps. I had two tears in my hamstrings this season and even though I'm feeling pretty good at this point, I don't want to overdo it because, the body, we're not machines. The body takes a lot of punishment from what we do and you just got to give it a break."

Gasol helped Spain win its first world title four years ago in Japan.

This year, Spain is in Group D alongside France, New Zealand, Lithuania, Lebanon and Canada.