BARCELONA – There have not been many players like Juan Carlos Navarro to have ever graced European basketball courts, but the long-time Spain captain and FC Barcelona legend has announced his retirement from basketball.
The 38-year-old guard, commonly referred to as La Bomba, is hanging up his sneakers as one of the most decorated European players, having achieved extraordinary success both for the national team and at club level.
Having participated in seven FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, five Olympic Games and four FIBA Basketball World Cups, Navarro is the all-time cap leader for Spain with 253 games under his belt.
During his time with the national team, La Bomba has become a World Cup winner (2006), claimed two Olympic silver medals in Beijing and London (2008 and 2012) and a bronze in Rio de Janeiro (2016). A two-time FIBA EuroBasket champion (2009 and 2011), he also has a pair of 2nd-place and a couple of 3rd-place finishes in the history of the tournament.
Born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Navarro represented the local FC Barcelona club for the majority of his career, suiting up for the club from 1997-2007 and 2007-2018, He retires as the most successful player in the history of club’s basketball section with a record 35 major domestic and continental titles.
After a turning a new chapter of his life, Navarro is not leaving the world of basketball altogether and is set to continue to work within the FC Barcelona system moving forward.
Soon after the announcement was made, the tributes started rolling in on social media from former teammates and foes alike.
Courtesy: FIBA.com
