By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Spanish point guard of Bilbao has announced through the ACB and social networks, that this is the last season of his professional basketball career.
Raul Lopez began playing basketball professionally for Joventut Badalona in 1998. Apart from the Catalans, he has also been a player of Real Madrid (2000-2002 and 2006-2009), the Utah Jazz (2002-2005) Girona (2005-2006) and Khimki Moscow (2009-2001) before moving to Bilbao in 2011. This will be the last station of his career that spanned for 18 seasons.
Considered as one of the smartest Spanish point guards of the century, Lopez was the 24th pick of the first round in the 2001 Draft by the Utah Jazz. When he signed his contract with the NBA team, in 2002, he underwent a knee surgery that barred him from playing for the whole season. It is safe to assume that his knee problem never allowed Lopez to reach his full potential. However, he managed to play a full season with a Utah Jazz in 2003-2004.
As a member of the Spanish national team, Raul Lopez has won the golden medal in the Eurobasket 2009, the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic games and the bronze medal in the Eurobasket 2001.