On March 7, 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers held a ceremony at halftime of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies to retire the No. 16 jersey of Pau Gasol.
After the Lakers acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies in 2007, he became the missing piece for a team that won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Gasol is one of the latest legendary members of the franchise to have his name and number put up in the rafters, and his family and teammates were all on hand to watch it happen.
Gasol was overwhelmed with emotion prior to the ceremony as the purple and gold showed tribute videos before the halftime break. Things got even more teary-eyed when he took center court to address the fans with a heartfelt speech where he thanked Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, his former teammates, his family and everyone else affiliated with the franchise.
The Spaniard deserved the moment as he was instrumental in helping turn the franchise around at a time when they were starving for success. Alongside Bryant, Gasol was a driving force behind their three NBA Finals appearances that culminated with two titles. As such, it’s only fitting that Gasol’s jersey hangs next to Bryant’s forever.
It was also a nice touch for Los Angeles to retire Gasol’s jersey on a night they were playing his former team in Memphis. Gasol was a superstar for both franchises and fans of each team can appreciate what he did for them during his playing days.
Pau Gasol still processing getting jersey retired by Lakers
Pau Gasol has a sterling reputation for his contributions both on and off the floor, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that he would see his jersey retired someday. However, the former Lakers All-Star admitted that he was struggling to process such an amazing honor.
“It’s a lot to process to be honest, it’s hard to imagine it still as we’re getting closer and closer to the day,” Gasol said in the days leading up to the ceremony. “But it’s a huge honor. Just something that I’ve never envisioned, and something that is not just an honor to me, it’s an honor to my family, to my parents and I think to a lot of people. I think it’s a reflection obviously, of a great run that we had, that I was able to do my part. So it’s also an honor to the rest of my teammates, and my coaches and the staff that we had during those years.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
