NEW YORK (USA) - Pau Gasol has revealed that Tony Parker was so desperate to have success in international basketball early in his career that the French point guard would have traded an NBA title "for a medal or a gold medal."
The Spain legend made the comment while making a guest appearance on the NBA Today show, explaining how important it is for FIBA stars to reach the podium at major events.
This was just a few days after Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed his first medal at EuroBasket 2025, in Riga. After Greece's win over Finland in a Third-Place Game thriller, two-time NBA MVP and NBA champion Antetokounmpo said: "This is probably the greatest accomplishment I have ever accomplished as an athlete."
"So at the 2007 European Championship (EuroBasket) in Madrid, Tony came to me before a big game that they had to play and he had won already, I think, two or three NBA championships (with San Antonio) at that point and he comes to me and he says, 'Pau, I would trade an NBA championship for a medal or for a gold with my national team.'
"He finally got it in 2013 and I know how much that means to him and his family. That's what it means to a lot of international players to play for the country and achieve that success for their fans."
By EuroBasket 2007, Parker already had one medal. He had claimed a bronze at EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade and despite missing the podium in 2007, he won silver at EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.
The gold medal and MVP award did not happen for Parker until EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, where his team beat Spain in the Semi-Finals and then Lithuania in the Final.
At EuroBasket 2015 in Lille, France came within a whisker of reaching the Final but Pau Gasol scored 40 points and led Spain to an overtime triumph against Les Bleus. This was arguably Pau Gasol's best performance with Spain.
Parker and France bounced back to win the bronze, while Spain defeated Lithuania in the championship game.
FIBA