<p>BARCELONA, Spain — Twenty years after leaving Spain to try his luck in the NBA, Pau Gasol has returned home as one of the best international players in league history.</p>
<p>Gasol, now 40, is eager to show his career isn’t over despite not having played a game in two years.</p>
<p>“I am not the same Pau as I was 20 or even 10 years ago, but I hope I can contribute. My ambition is intact,” Gasol said Thursday at his presentation as Barcelona’s newest player.</p>
<p>Only the second Spaniard to play in the NBA, Gasol went on to become a six-time All-Star and won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.</p>
<p>The Barcelona-born Gasol last appeared in the NBA on March 10, 2019, for Milwaukee. He has since been hobbled by a foot injury.</p>
<p>The 7-foot-1 Gasol played for Barcelona from 1998 until he entered the 2001 NBA draft, starting his professional career when he was still a teenager. Back then, he was a lanky scoring threat. He returns a seasoned center who still hopes to do damage with his passing, mid-range shooting skills and leadership.</p>
<p>Gasol has also excelled with Spain’s national team. He led a golden era in the country with three Olympic medals and a world championship title in 2006.</p>
<p>“I am just as excited to do my part for this great team,” Gasol said about his return with Barcelona. “Hopefully I can help win the Euroleague, the only title I am missing.”</p>
<p>Gasol will first have to get healthy. He said he still doesn’t know when he can return to action.</p>
<p>“Everything went well in practice yesterday,” Gasol said. “We will see how it goes this week to set a date or a game when it will make sense to get back on the court. I hope that it is soon. It is important for me to find my rhythm so I can provide some quality minutes.”</p>
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