ESP - Pau has one eye on Spain

LOS ANGELES (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Pau Gasol was a spectator this year when Spain's national team played at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who had been the MVP of the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan and EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, and an All-Tournament selection at EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania, had procedures on both of his knees after last season and had to miss the summer with the national team.

Now back on the court and in the last year of his contract with the Lakers, Gasol is trying to recapture his best form.

While excited about playing at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will be staged in Spain next year, the 33-year-old also has other things on his mind.

"Of course I want to play at the World Cup in Spain," he said.

"It's one of my dreams, but it is clear that before the preparation begins, I hope I have signed somewhere."

Gasol is averaging more than 14 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Lakers, who have won just seven of their 15 games and find themselves out of the top-eight in the Western Conference standings. They have been without superstar Kobe Bryant, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered at the end of last season.

The franchise is hoping Gasol will start to make more of an impact, having averaged 18.3 points and 9.2 boards in his career.

Spain coach Juan Antonio Orenga, meanwhile, is keeping close tabs on all of the players in the national team set-up.

And he has been speaking about the importance of being the host nation.

"(The crowd) is the one that needs to help us overcome the difficult situations that may arise," he said. "We need to fight from the first day until the last to have options to win."

Spain captured the world title in Japan in 2006 and finished sixth at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

FIBA