Original Blog Entry: Gasol to miss worlds for Spain

NBey6 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:15:32 GMT

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.

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