Spain center Marc Gasol has told Spanish basketball fans not to expect his brother, Pau Gasol, to represent the country this summer at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Marc, coming off an outstanding second NBA season with the Memphis Grizzlies, says his older sibling - the MVP of last year's EuroBasket in Poland - is going to take a break no matter what.

That's even if the Los Angeles Lakers fail to beat Oklahoma City in the first round of their Western Conference play-off showdown which is currently knotted at 2-2.

"I have no doubts that Pau will not be there, regardless of the play-offs," Marc said.

"It has been 12 or 13 consecutive years with the national team and without any stop, with the exception of the EuroBasket in Belgrade."

Pau didn't play in Belgrade because of injuries.

"I think the time has come for Pau to regain his energy," Marc said.

"Now he is not just playing the regular-season games as he did in Memphis, but more than 100 games and you feel that a lot.

"People have to accept it and I think they will because the fans love Pau and understand that he needs to rest."

Turning The Page

Spain have as much talent as any national side in Europe but there is only one Pau Gasol, the man that has become the reference point for the game not only in Spain but all of Europe.

In addition to winning MVP honors at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, the seven-footer last year won his first NBA crown with the Lakers before firing Spain to a gold medal in Poland.

He has been voted FIBA Europe Player of the Year the last two times.

"Pau is a unique and special player," Marc said.

"We will have to do the best thing possible without him and it will be a beautiful and new experience, a new challenge for this team.

"Our aim is to compete.

"We want to go as far as possible and see where that takes us.

"No one would like to trip up and our desire is to compete from the first day and work in July.

"I am looking forward to being with my teammates at the World Championship."

Marc was bothered by a neck injury at the end of the season but has plenty of time to get better.

"The injury is there, but in three months time if all goes well, I will have recovered," he said.