When Spain walks into Olympic stadium on Friday night for the opening ceremomy, they'll be led by Pau Gasol. The basketball star has been designated the nation's flag bearer, one of the highest honors an Olympic athlete can get.
"It's an amazing honor," Gasol said. "I feel very lucky and privileged to be carrying the flag and leading all of our athletes into the stadium. It will be a very memorable moment in my career."
The Spanish basketball team is considered one of the few teams that could challenge the mighty Americans for the gold medal. Despite a 100-78 exhibition loss to the United States earlier this week, Gasol's hopes remain high.
"Argentina, Russia, France and the USA are obviously the toughest teams," Gasol said. "But that has to proven during the tournament."
—Jon Krawczynski — Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski
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