SPAIN: BASKETBALL - Pau and Marc Gasol train with Regal Barca under coach Xavi Pascual as the NBA is on hold because of the lockout

Record ID: 795932

  • Title: SPAIN: BASKETBALL - Pau and Marc Gasol train with Regal Barca under coach Xavi Pascual as the NBA is on hold because of the lockout
  • Date: 7th October 2011
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 6, 2011) (REUTERS) **FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGHOUT** REGAL BARCELONA PLAYERS TRAINING LA LAKERS FORWARD PAU GASOL SHOOTING CLOSE UP OF GRIZZLIES FORWARD MARC GASOL SHOOTING CLOSE UP OF PAYU GASOL AT TRAINING BARCELONA PLAYERS TRAINING CLOSE UP OF REGAL BARCA CAPTAIN JUAN CARLOS NAVARRO AT TRAINING MARC GASOL AT TRAINING PAU GASOL AT TRAINING VARIOUS OF MARC GASOL SHOOTING LA LAKERS GUARD PAU GASOL ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING DOWN PHOTOGRAPHERS CAMERAMEN / GASOL JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE GASOL AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LA LAKERS FORWARD PAU GASOL, SAYING: "I hope and I am positive that it is possible to reach an agreement this season and it would be an important catastrophy to cancel a whole season at the point we were at in the League and as it has been recently. So I would see it as a big problem." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LA LAKERS FORWARD PAU GASOL, SAYING: "I am proud of players not ceding when talking about our team's demands in the NBA. As soon as the owners are ready to sign a fair agreement I think we'll all be happy to start the competition. That is what we all need." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LA LAKERS FORWARD PAU GASOL, SAYING: "Most, if not all, the NBA players who are in this situation are going to have look at their options they have. Nobody wants to spend a whole season without playing. We all want to play and play in top-level teams if we can and I would understand that Dirk (Nowitzky) joined a top team like Real Madrid in his case."
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAK5BFYJOOHFCA1GFP1OM52NZI
  • Story Text: Pau and Marc Gasol trained with Regal Barca on Thursday (October 6) under coach Xavi Pascual as the NBA is on hold because of the lockout.
    Grizzlies' forward Marc GasoL started training on Tuesday (October 4), and his older brother, still nursing an ankle injury sustained at Eurobasket 2011 in Lithuania, joined the team on Thursday.
    They join the Spanish champions while it is decided whether the two first weeks of the NBA season will be cancelled, which is possible if there is no progress in the labour dispute between NBA officials and players.
    "I hope and I am positive that it is possible to reach an agreement this season and it would be an important catastrophy to cancel a whole season at the point we were at in the League and as it has been recently. So I would see it as a big problem," the 31-year-old forward said.
    "I am proud of players not ceding when talking about our team's demands in the NBA. As soon as the owners are ready to sign a fair agreement I think we'll all be happy to start the competition. That is what we all need," he added.
    The NBA season is scheduled to begin on November 1 but an agreement must be reached before October 10, NBA officials said on Wednesday (October 5).
    When asked about NBA players considering a move to European competitions after rumours about NBA's Dirk Nowitzky moving to Real Madrid, Gasol said: "Most, if not all, the NBA players who are in this situation are going to have look at their options they have.
    "Nobody wants to spend a whole season without playing. We all want to play and play in top-level teams if we can and I would understand that Dirk (Nowitzky) joined a top team like Real Madrid in his case."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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