Gasol heading home to play again for FC Barcelona
Pau Gasol is going home, announcing Tuesday that he will sign to play with FC Barcelona and rejoin the franchise with which he started his professional basketball career more than 20 years ago.
The Spaniard has previously said he wants to play in his fifth Olympic Games but that he needs to be playing this season to give himself a chance of making it to Tokyo.
Gasol is a six-time NBA All-Star, winning a pair of championships with the Lakers. The 40-year-old who was born in Barcelona last appeared in the NBA on March 10, 2019, for Milwaukee.
“I’m happy to return to the club where I began, and I’m excited about this new opportunity,” he wrote in a post on social media. “I hope to contribute to the first team very soon. I want to thank Barca and its technical staff for making it possible to join them.”
Gasol debuted for Barcelona in the 1998-99 season, was part of two Liga ACB titles, then was the No. 3 pick in the 2001 NBA draft. He was the rookie of the year for Memphis in 2002, won three Olympic medals with Spain and was part of the team that won the FIBA world championship in 2006.
Gasol has been bothered by a foot injury over the past two years.
“I want to put my skills and experience at the disposal of the club at a key point in the season, while at the same time making progress in my physical condition and getting into the rhythm of competition,” Gasol said.
The 7-foot-1 Gasol averaged 17 points and 9.2 rebounds in 1,226 regularseason games with five NBA clubs, which also include Chicago and San Antonio.
No. 2 Baylor triumphs in its return to court
Adam Flagler scored 22 points, Jared Butler had 15 of his 18 points after halftime and No. 2 Baylor finally overcame the rust of a three-week break and Iowa State for a 77-72 victory Tuesday night, making the Bears 18-0 for the first time in school history.
The host Bears (10-0 Big 12) played for the first time since a win at then-No. 6 Texas on Feb. 2. They then had six consecutive games postponed because of COVID-19 issues in the program.
The Cyclones (2-17, 0-14) jumped out to a 15-4 lead in less than 6½ minutes and increased the lead to 32-15.
The Bears never led until MaCio Teague made two free throws with 4:26 left for a 66-65 advantage. They never trailed again, but needed a go-ahead basket by Teague after Jalen Coleman-Lands made a tying 3 with 2:53 left. MICHIGAN ST. 81, NO. 5 ILLINOIS 72 » Aaron Henry scored 20 points and Joshua Langford had 15 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Spartans (12-9, 6-9 Big Ten) past the visiting Fighting Illini (16-6, 12-4).
Trent Frazier scored 22 points for Illinois, which had won a Big Ten-best seven straight games.
OKLAHOMA 57 » Mike McGuirl scored 19 points, hitting three straight 3s in the final minutes, and the Wildcats (7-18, 3-13 Big 12) rallied to take down the Sooners (14-6, 9-5).
Austin Reaves scored 25 points for Oklahoma.
JOHN’S 58 » Caleb Daniels scored 17 points as the Wildcats (15-3, 10-2 Big East) avenged a Feb. 3 loss to the Red Storm (14-9, 8-9).
NO. 10 WEST VIRGINIA 84, TCU 66» Taz Sherman scored 23 points, Derek Culver had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and the Mountaineers (16-6, 9-4 Big 12) defeated the host Horned Frogs (11-10, 4-8).
Ex-Angel Teheran lands with Tigers
The Detroit Tigers announced a minor league contract with right-hander Julio Teheran, who pitched last year for the Angels.
Teheran, 30, will report to major league spring training.
He was 0-4 with a 10.05 in 10 games (nine starts) in his lone season with the Angels following nine seasons in Atlanta, with whom he went 77-73.
Teheran was an NL AllStar in 2014 and 2016.
• Right-hander Ian Kennedy has signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and will be in major league spring training with a chance to compete for a bullpen spot.
The 36-year-old Kennedy has played for four different teams over 14 big league seasons.
Kennedy, the former La Quinta (Westminster) High and USC standout, spent the past five seasons with Kansas City, where he made the transition from starter to reliever the past two years. He had his only 30 MLB saves in 2019, but was limited to one start and 14 relief appearances last season because of a left calf injury.
In 290 starts and 79 relief appearances, Kennedy is 97-105 with a 4.13 ERA. He had a career-high 21 wins in 2011 for Arizona.
• Free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is expected to sign with SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization for the 2021 season.
Choo, 38, spent the past seven seasons in Texas after signing a $130 million deal in December 2013.
The South Korea native signed with the Mariners in 2000 and made his major-league debut five years later. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2006, then to Cincinnati before the 2013 season.
Choo made his only AllStar team in 2018.
In 1,652 games over 16 seasons, Choo hit .275 with 218 home runs and 782 RBIs. He had 1,671 hits and an onbase percentage of .377.
• Travis Shaw is back in Milwaukee to give the Brewers one more option for their unsettled situation at third base.
He signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to big league camp.
Shaw last played for the Brewers from 2017-19.
He had 31 home runs and 101 RBIs in 2017, and followed that up with 32 homers and 86 RBIs in 2018. But he tailed off dramatically in 2019, hitting just .157 with a .281 onbase percentage, .270 slugging percentage, seven homers and 16 RBIs in 86 games.
Shaw spent 2020 with the Toronto Blue Jays and hit .239 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 50 games.
• The Braves finalized a $1 million, one-year contract with third baseman Jake Lamb.
Lamb, 30, was an AllStar in 2017 when he hit 30 home runs with 105 RBIs. But he had just 12 home runs and 62 RBIs over the next three seasons with the Diamondbacks as shoulder issues took their toll.
After his September 2020 release from Arizona, Lamb joined the Oakland Athletics and hit three home runs in 13 games.