FIBA Basketball
ESP - Gasol, Mumbru named in Spain squad
ALICANTE (FIBA World Championship) - Pau Gasol returned to the Spanish national squad on Monday when he was named in the 12-man group to play at the FIBA World Championship in Japan. The seven-footer who plays with the Memphis Grizzlies and was an NBA All-Star this season skipped last summer's EuroBasket in
::WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend ::
ALICANTE (FIBA World Championship) - Pau Gasol returned to the Spanish national squad on Monday when he was named in the 12-man group to play at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
The seven-footer who plays with the Memphis Grizzlies and was an NBA All-Star this season skipped last summer's EuroBasket in a bid to recover from a recurring foot injury. National team boss Pepu Hernandez included Gasol, as expected, while also naming DKV Joventut's Alex Mumbru in the team after his sensational campaign in the ACB and the EuroCup.
Akasvayu Girona point guard Raul Lopez, who returned to Spanish basketball this season after his NBA career with the Utah Jazz was knocked off the rails with a knee injury, is not among the 12 players named. Lopez was fit but Hernandez elected not to include the playmaker.
Unicaja Malaga, the recently-crowned champions of Spain's ACB, have three players in established veteran big man Jorge Garbajosa, point guard Carlos Cabezas and forward Berni Rodriguez.
Juan Carlos Navarro, the Barcelona guard who was this year's most valuable player in the ACB and has signalled his intention to play in the NBA next season, is in the group along Fran Vazquez of Girona, who famously turned down a move to the Orlando Magic last summer to remain in Spain.
Rudy Fernandez, the MVP of DKV Joventut's EuroCup Final Four triumph, Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Manuel Calderon, Estudiantes pair Carlos Jimenez and Sergio Rodriguez, and Real Madrid power forward Felipe Reyes complete the group.
Jordi Trias and Edu Hdez Sonseca have been invited to train with the team.
Spain are in Group B of the FIBA World Championship with Germany, New Zealand, hosts Japan, Angola and Panama.
Spain will begin training for the FIBA World Championship on July 10 in Madrid and will then play their first friendly on July 26 against China in Cordoba.
Hernandez's men face China again in Castellon on July 29. The Spanish host the Torneo Internacional Valencia against Angola, China and Serbia & Montenegro from July 30-31, and then from August 5-6 stage the Torneo de Madrid with Poland, Argentina and Lithuania also taking part.
On August 8, the Spaniards travel to south-east Asia for the Torneo Singapore to take on Slovenia, Argentina and Serbia & Montenegro. Gasol & Co then leave for Japan on August 14 with their opening game in Group B against New Zealand on August 19 in Hiroshima.
By Jeff Taylor, PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA
ALICANTE (FIBA World Championship) - Pau Gasol returned to the Spanish national squad on Monday when he was named in the 12-man group to play at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
The seven-footer who plays with the Memphis Grizzlies and was an NBA All-Star this season skipped last summer's EuroBasket in a bid to recover from a recurring foot injury. National team boss Pepu Hernandez included Gasol, as expected, while also naming DKV Joventut's Alex Mumbru in the team after his sensational campaign in the ACB and the EuroCup.
Akasvayu Girona point guard Raul Lopez, who returned to Spanish basketball this season after his NBA career with the Utah Jazz was knocked off the rails with a knee injury, is not among the 12 players named. Lopez was fit but Hernandez elected not to include the playmaker.
Unicaja Malaga, the recently-crowned champions of Spain's ACB, have three players in established veteran big man Jorge Garbajosa, point guard Carlos Cabezas and forward Berni Rodriguez.
Juan Carlos Navarro, the Barcelona guard who was this year's most valuable player in the ACB and has signalled his intention to play in the NBA next season, is in the group along Fran Vazquez of Girona, who famously turned down a move to the Orlando Magic last summer to remain in Spain.
Rudy Fernandez, the MVP of DKV Joventut's EuroCup Final Four triumph, Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Manuel Calderon, Estudiantes pair Carlos Jimenez and Sergio Rodriguez, and Real Madrid power forward Felipe Reyes complete the group.
Jordi Trias and Edu Hdez Sonseca have been invited to train with the team.
Spain are in Group B of the FIBA World Championship with Germany, New Zealand, hosts Japan, Angola and Panama.
Spain will begin training for the FIBA World Championship on July 10 in Madrid and will then play their first friendly on July 26 against China in Cordoba.
Hernandez's men face China again in Castellon on July 29. The Spanish host the Torneo Internacional Valencia against Angola, China and Serbia & Montenegro from July 30-31, and then from August 5-6 stage the Torneo de Madrid with Poland, Argentina and Lithuania also taking part.
On August 8, the Spaniards travel to south-east Asia for the Torneo Singapore to take on Slovenia, Argentina and Serbia & Montenegro. Gasol & Co then leave for Japan on August 14 with their opening game in Group B against New Zealand on August 19 in Hiroshima.
By Jeff Taylor, PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA