Pau Gasol to Gilas: I'll be ready for you
This early, Spain's national basketball team center Pau Gasol is giving Gilas Pilipinas a piece of advice: I'll be ready.
Dared by a local hoops fan, who uses an account named @boy_durian, on Twitter Monday night, the 7-foot NBA center told Gilas coach Chot Reyes, who retweeted Gasol's tweet, that he would be ready for the Philippine team in next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup set in Spain from Aug. 30 to Sept. 14.
One of the most followed international sporting icons in the social networking site, Gasol caught the attention of Reyes, also an active Twitter user. Reyes recently scouted the just-concluded FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers in Arena Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia that culminated with France winning the gold medal at the expense of Lithuania.
Thx 4 motivating him to kill us RT @boy_durian: @paugasol d Filipinos would be more than ready 2 conquer spain next yr so practice hard
— Chot Reyes (@coachot) September 23, 2013
@coachot Let's say that I'll be ready if we play each other. See you there!
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) September 23, 2013
Reyes disclosed he also met Gasol’s fellow national team member, Jorge Garbajosa, while hoping the Nationals could play a tune-up match against Spain, ranked second in the world behind powerhouse and reigning Olympic champion United States.
@paugasol Sorry I dint get a chance to see u in Ljubjlana. Bumped into Jorge Garbajosa 1 night. Hope we can play a tune-up in Spain next Aug
— Chot Reyes (@coachot) September 23, 2013
@coachot That would be fun! If not, hopefully we'll meet at the World Championship!
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) September 23, 2013
El gusto es mio! We will be in Spain early RT @paugasol: @coachot That would be fun! If not, hopefully we'll meet at the World Championship!
— Chot Reyes (@coachot) September 23, 2013
Although automatically seeded as host, the Spaniards, even without the 33-year-old Gasol, finished a fighting third in the European qualifiers behind newly-minted champion France and formidable Lithuania.
Four more qualifiers from Europe, Croatia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Serbia, join the Philippines, which finished first-runner up in Asian qualifiers, and 12 other countries in the prestigious battle for world supremacy.
The top four finishers in the wildcard phase slated at Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 23-24 will complete the 24-nation cast of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
