Olympics-Basketball-Spain's Gasol hopes to end runners-up streak

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 5 (Reuters) - After losing the final game of the Olympic basketball tournament to the United States for the past two Olympics, Spain's star player and six-times NBA all-star Pau Gasol hopes to break his team's runners-up streak in Rio de Janeiro. Gasol is in good company, as he is one of a record-high 34 current players from the National Basketball Association playing on teams hoping to outdo the U.S. men, who have won gold in five of the past six Olympics but lost out in 2000 to Argentina, a result that led to deep soul-searching and the reorganisation of the nation's Olympic basketball programme. A total of 46 current NBA players including the 12-man U.S. team, or about one in three of all athletes, will hit the hardwood during the tournament, with 26 from its counterpart the WNBA participating on the women's side. Emulating Argentina's feat against the nation that invented basketball would be a high honour, said Gasol, a former Chicago Bulls player who is heading to the San Antonio Spurs next season. "It would mean the world," said Gasol, who will be making his fourth Olympic appearance in Rio. "It would mean so much. But it's extremely hard, that's why it would mean so much if we could have a chance to get it." Gasol will be joined on the Olympic hardwood by five fellow current NBA players: Jose Manuel Calderon of the Los Angeles Lakers, Willy Hernangomez of the New York Knicks, Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls, Sergio Rodriguez of the Philadelphia 76ers and Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves. A seventh team member, Alex Abrines, was chosen by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2013 NBA draft but has continued to play for the Barcelona Lassa. Abrines is eligible for the 2016-2017 NBA season. Spain will not immediately face their U.S. rivals, tipping off on Sunday against Croatia and then going on to face Argentina, Lithuania and Brazil in the initial round. Like most of the major U.S. professional sports leagues, the NBA has been building up its foreign presence in recent years. Last season, the league hosted games in cities including London, Milan, Mexico City, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China, and it has floated the idea of holding its All-Star weekend in Europe. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Clare Fallon; Editing by Clare Fallon)