Pau Gasol may freeze sperm over Zika concerns at Rio Olympics

Well, here’s a story you probably didn’t expect to read today: Pau Gasol is considering freezing his sperm.

The soon-to-be free-agent NBA big man, a member of the Chicago Bulls this past season and a mainstay on the Spanish national basketball team, is considering freezing a sperm sample in advance of this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to concerns about the Zika virus, according to an Associated Press report.

“Freezing sperm is one of the measures I have to consider,” Gasol told the AP.

Last month, Gasol voiced his concern about potentially playing in Brazil, and his status for the 2016 Olympics remains uncertain. He led Spain to silver-medal finishes in the last two Summer Olympics.

”It wouldn’t surprise me to see some athletes deciding not to participate in the games to avoid putting their health and the health of their families at risk,” Gasol told the AP in May.

Recently, NBA stars Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin have all removed their names from Team USA consideration, citing concerns ranging from injuries to Zika.

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British Olympian Greg Rutherford, who will defend his gold medal in the long jump this summer, will freeze sperm prior to leaving for Brazil, his partner Susie Verrill told Standard Issue magazine last week.

Gasol, 35, attended medical school at the University of Barcelona before his basketball career took off.

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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach