NBA champion, three-time All-Star C officially retires

In a five-minute video posted to his X account, Gasol talked about the "end of a chapter" — in three different languages. The video showed the former Defensive Player of the Year and NBA champion starting his day at Bàsquet Girona, the Spanish League club he founded in 2014. 

Gasol sank a shot in the empty gym and asked, "What's next?"

Gasol had a strange, meandering path to the NBA, which his retirement video showed. He was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, but moved to Memphis with his parents when the Grizzlies drafted his brother, Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, in 2001. 

After a stellar high school career in which he earned the nickname, "The Big Burrito," Gasol returned to Span and played professionally for CB Girona until 2008, a season that ended with him being named MVP of the Spanish League. 

Then his team collapsed financially.

While living in Spain in 2007, the younger Gasol was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. One year later, he was traded to Memphis in a deal that sent Pau to the Lakers — the first time in NBA history that brothers were traded for one another. With his home team gone, Gasol headed to the NBA for the 2008-09 season.

By 2011, Gasol led the Grizzlies to their first playoff win, and then their first playoff series win. In 2011-12, he was named an All-Star for the first time. In 2012-13, he earned the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.  And in 2014-15, he started in the All-Star game before the 55-win Grizzlies gave the eventual champion Golden State Warriors arguably their toughest challenge of the playoffs.

Gasol stated that in Memphis he "found a second home. ... And probably a better hairstyle."

In 2019, Memphis traded Gasol to the Toronto Raptors. He started at center throughout Toronto's run to an NBA title, shutting down stars like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokoumpo along the way.

After one season with the Lakers, Gasol returned to Bàsquet Girona and led them to promotion to Spain's top league. As he explained in the video, he's the president and the owner of the club, so they had to let him come back and play.

In the end, Gasol had already answered the question, "What's next?" It's running Girona's team and its basketball school. And, potentially, joining his brother in the Hall of Fame someday.