Pau Gasol arrives in Buenos Aires on behalf of Madrid’s Olympic Bid committee

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Lakers forward Pau Gasol arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina Wednesday to speak on behalf of Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid committee. Credit: Pau Gasol's Twitter account

Lakers forward Pau Gasol arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina Wednesday to speak on behalf of Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid committee. Credit: Pau Gasol’s Twitter account

Pau Gasol remains an avid traveler and a highly-cultured person, ranging from reading historical novels, making trips to countries in need as a UNICEF ambassador and attending operas. But Gasol’s latest excursion serves a different person.

He landed Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he will represent Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid committee in hopes that his native Spain can host those Summer Games.

Madrid will compete with Tokyo and Istanbul for the 2020 Summer Games. The International Olympic Committee will announce its decision Saturday in Argentina.

Gasol spent part of last weekend playing on the basketball court for the first time since the team’s first-round loss last April to the San Antonio Spurs. He had been rehabbing most of the offseason on his knees, which underwent a procedure on May 7 to eliminate scar tissue surrounding the tendonosis in both of his knees. He has also incorporated various amounts of work in the weight, swimming pool and stationary bike. The Lakers expect Gasol to be fully healthy for training camp beginning Sept. 27.

But first, Gasol will plead his case for Spain to host the 2020 Olympics.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com