Gasol says no to Spain

Pau Gasol has decided to rest this summer rather than join Spain for the World Championships later this summer in Turkey. He made it clear after his exit interview today with Lakers coach Phil Jackson and GM Mitch Kupchak that it was a tough decision .

"But I understand it's best for my body, for myself and, consequently, the teams I'm a part of," Gasol said during a sit-down interview with reporters. "After two or three very demanding years, with a lot of basketball, and getting to six finals (three NBA Finals, two European Championships and one Olympics), I think I've played as much basketball as I could play possibly. My body is asking me to rest, to recover, to be able to be fresh and continue to play at the level I'm playing. Otherwise, my body is going to break down quicker and I'm gong to become a worse player, which is something I don't want to happen."