After 19 incredible seasons in the NBA, Pau Gasol has officially announced his retirement from professional basketball.
The veteran Spaniard was one of the most underrated players throughout his entire career, making it to 6 All-Star Games and being a synonym for consistency and hard work over that time.
He started his career in the league with the Memphis Grizzlies and also played for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Milwaukee Bucks. Nonetheless, most people will always remember him as Kobe Bryant's ride-or-die sidekick in the Los Angeles Lakers.
That's why it's not a surprise to see that the Lakers have already told Shams Charania of The Athletic that they intend to retire Pau's number 16 jersey:
"After a basketball career that included 19 NBA seasons, six All-Stars and two championships, Pau Gasol has retired," Charania reported. "The Los Angeles Lakers plan to retire Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey," he added on a follow-up tweet.
Gasol spent 7 years in Los Angeles and helped them win a couple of championships in 3 trips to the NBA Finals.
He was the perfect complement Kobe needed to lead the franchise back to the top of the world after years of struggles in the post-Shaquille O'Neal era.
And, even though he was often linked to trade rumors during his time in Los Angeles, Pau's professionalism and work ethic never allowed that to be a distraction for him.
Now, his jersey will hang high next to his brother's Kobe Bryant's number 8 and 24, just like he predicted:
“There’s no debating. When [Pau] retires, he will have his number in the rafters next to mine. The reality is, I don’t win those championships without Pau. The city of LA doesn’t have those two championships without Pau. We know that, everybody knows that. I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans," Kobe once said.
Pau's number 16 will be the 12th number retired by the franchise, along with 8, 13, 22, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44, and 52. Well deserved.
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