ESP - Garbajosa retires from Spain national team

MADRID (EuroBasket 2011) - Jorge Garbajosa has called it quits with Spain's national team.

The versatile power forward, who is 33, made the much-anticipated announcement early Tuesday afternoon at the Spanish Basketball Federation headquarters in Madrid.

"This is the day that I never wanted to experience," Garbajosa said.

"I want to thank the coaches, the players, and especially (FEB president Jose Luis) Saez. To all the media for your treatment, to my wife, my family, my friends that I have denied many summers to them and they have not minded, on the contrary they have supported me.

"It´s a very hard day. It´s what I must do.

"I retire from the national team but not from the FEB. I will continue in basketball."

A lynchpin in the side for a decade, Garbajosa has been as important as any player in the squad during a golden era for Spain.

After the loss of Pau Gasol to injury in a 2006 FIBA World Championship Semi-Final victory over Argentina, Garbajosa helped carry the Spanish in a 70-47 title-game rout of Greece, burying six of 11 three-pointers on his way to a game-high 20 points.

Perhaps he will be best remembered for 2007 when he refused to accept the Toronto Raptors' decision not to allow him to play at the EuroBasket in Spain due to injury concerns.

With the support of the FEB, Garbajosa obtained the insurance he needed and not only played but helped the country win a silver medal.

It's been a difficult year for Garbajosa.

After suffering the disappointment of a sixth-place finish at last year's FIBA World Championship in Turkey, Garbajosa joined Real Madrid in the hope of winning titles but he was put on the transfer list in the middle of the season by former coach Ettore Messina.

Garbajosa later joined his old club, Unicaja Malaga.

FIBA