Tears rolled down Pau Gasol’s face when he saw his jersey next to Kobe Bryant’s hanging from the rafters at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Pau’s face after seeing his No. 16 jersey next to Bryant’s No. 24 will be remembered by all basketball fans as one last reminder of their close bond as teammates and brothers on and off the court. His face showed fascination and disbelief in equal amounts as he shook his head throughout the ceremony. The Los Angeles colosseum surrendered to Gasol’s greatness on and off the court during the halftime of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the franchise that brought him to the NBA. The ceremony featured the most important people in Gasol’s personal and professional life, including former teammates, team higher-ups, and an endless stream of friends and family members that didn’t want to miss this historic moment.
The basketball legend is the first Spanish athlete to receive the highest honor an athlete can get in any major sports league in the U.S., he’s the 7th European and the 12th Laker to have his jersey retired. No one else will be able to don No. 16 for a team as iconic as the Lakers, and the number will be linked to Pau’s memory forever.
The 42-year-old former star (Barcelona, June 6th, 1980), spent the moments prior to the ceremony sitting next to his daughter Elisabet Gianna in the first row of the arena that saw him shine between 2008 and 2014, when he won his two NBA rings and became part of history for the NBA’s most successful and most popular franchise. During each of the timeouts, the screens in the arena showed some of Pau’s former teammates praising him as a highlight reel played for everyone in attendance. There was also no shortage of fans wearing Pau’s purple and gold No. 16, and they even made a few ovations rained down on the arena as Pau tried to hold back his tears of emotion, it was a show of love that he had a tough time to process throughout the night.
During his speech, after he could contain his tears from seeing his jersey hanging from the rafters next to legends like Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant, he didn’t skip any acknowledgments and had some heartfelt words for his family and everyone else who helped him along the way.
Pau Gasol's family picture on the night of the jersey retirement
“Thank you so much, what an amazing feeling, what a huge honor,” Pau started, still wiping tears off his face. “I love you, sister, I’m proud to be your brother and the uncle to your daughters,” he stated after Vanessa Bryant’s introduction, which led to a video of the late Lakers legend explaining why Pau was so important in Lakers’ history. “Without him, we wouldn’t have these two rings,” Kobe recalled during the 2018 Oscars ceremony when asked by Antonio Martín Guirado.
“I’m speechless, seeing all these faces here, everyone’s at home. I can only thank you, you’ve made me feel so special and it’s been an honor to wear this jersey and play for this franchise. I can’t continue without mentioning the only face that’s missing from here, the brother that brought me here today.” The reference to Kobe made cheers rain down from the stands. “I miss him so much and I know he was looking forward to this moment. I love him and I would have loved to have him here next to Gigi,” he added as he tried to hold back tears.
Pau became an absolute legend that transcends the Lakers, the NBA, and even basketball. He recalled his childhood when he started bouncing the ball at Collegi Llor, in Sant Boi de Llobregat. “As a kid in Spain, I had a dream. I wanted to be a basketball player and play in the NBA, but I never imagined, not in a million years, that I would make it. It’s a huge honor to be among the great legends of this franchise,” he let out.
The jersey retirement is one more chapter in Gasol’s legend, the man who broke all the barriers on the way of Spanish basketball, with names like Juan Carlos Navarro, Juancho Hernangómez, and Jose Calderón also present at the event. The night was also attended by some great names from Lakers history like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Derek Fisher, and even former Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler, who made a surprise appearance at the arena.
Pau Gasol's Accomplishments
- 2 NBA rings
- 6-time All-Star
- Rookie of the year
- 2-time second team All-NBA
- 2-time third team All-NBA
- 2nd highest European scorer in the NBA: 20.894 points
- 2 Olympic silver medals and 1 bronze
- World Champion
- 3 European gold medals
- 2 Eurobasket MVPs
- 3 ACB Leagues
- ACB MVP Final
- 1 Copa del Rey
- Copa del Rey MVP
- No. 16 jersey retired by the Lakers
Although the ceremony lasted only 10 minutes, it was charged with emotion and was up to the expectations for such a special occasion. The highlight reel that played in the arena reminded fans of those three finals and 2 NBA rings that Pau won in his time with the team. It was a golden era, with him at the center of the team’s ascension while breaking barriers for Spanish athletes around the world. His battles with Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki are still seared in the memory of the fans, a marvelous journey that left him on the verge of tears even before he started talking.
After thanking his friends, family, and everyone in attendance, Pau chose to close the speech with a message of commitment and love.
“I’ll finish with one thing: Those that receive a lot are also expected to do a lot. I’ll stay committed to impacting other people, making a difference, inspiring others, to helping make this world a better place. I love you all, thank you!,” No. 16 said to put an end to the historic night.
His name sits among other great Lakers legends, his words remind us of his true stature as he’s become a beloved figure off the court for all sports fans. Few people are more deserving of this honor than Pau Gasol.