Pau Gasol sheds a tear as the Lakers retire his No. 16 jersey, joining Kobe Bryant in the rafters

Former NBA player Pau Gasol reunited with his former teammate and friend Kobe Bryant Tuesday night as the Lakers retired his jersey along with the legend’s.

Gasol and Bryant did it all together, and their numbers now hang side by side in the Lakers arena, as the former Purple & Gold center shed a tear in front of the fans.

The Lakers retired Gasol’s No. 16 jersey Tuesday night, in honor of the genteel big man who spent the best seasons of his 18-year NBA career with Bryant in Los Angeles. The Lakers reached three straight NBA Finals after Gasol’s arrival in February 2008, winning championships in 2009 and 2010.

The Lakers brought the curtain down to reveal Gasol’s No. 16 hanging next to Bryant’s at Crypto.com Arena and the 42-year-old, with a championship ring in each hand, was visibly emotional as he wiped away a tear.

He was flanked by his parents, wife and children, and his brother Marc – an NBA champion with the toronto raptors – as well as Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss, Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

The occasion was made even more moving by the presence of Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife.

Gasol, 42, was a close friend of Kobe’s and has supported Vanessa, 40, and their daughters, Natalia, 20, Bianka, 6, and Capri, 3, since Kobe and Gianna died in a car accident. helicopter along with seven other people in January. 26, 2020.

The celebration marked the first time Vanessa had returned to the Crypto.com Arena from the Kobe memorial as she honored her late husband’s close friend.

A host of Gasol’s former teammates also attended, including Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, LaMar Odom and Metta Sandiford-Artest.

Other former Lakers came to the game, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan Farmar, James Worthy and coach Gary Vitti.

All fans in attendance received a free number 16 jersey, with them placed on top of the seats in the arena before the game.

“I think I did my best to embrace it and savor it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation I’ve ever had,” Gasol said before the game while wearing a championship ring in each hand.

“It means a lot, and obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful and powerful and sad and happy and painful and joyful.” Are a lot of things.

Gasol’s versatile game perfectly complemented Bryant’s scoring prowess when Gasol decided to be a support player for a superstar, and the two also formed a deep friendship off the court that lasted until Bryant’s death in 2020.

Gasol addressed the crowd at center court during the break between the second and third quarters. “I miss him a lot,” Gasol said when asked about Bryant. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it except love his family. This is how I treat it.

Vanessa gave a pre-recorded speech that was played to introduce Gasol, acknowledging her husband’s close friendship with his former teammate.

“It is an honor for me to present my dear friend Pau tonight,” he began. ‘Pau was special for Kobe as a teammate, as a man and as a friend.

‘Pablo, Kobe predicted that you and him would be on the rafters together. Here’s a little video I want you to watch.

He then blew a kiss to the camera as the clip cut to a 2018 interview of Bryant insisting that Pau would have his jersey hanging next to the Black Mamba’s.

Gasol then received a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd at Crypto.com Arena, patting his chest with one hand while supporting his 2-year-old daughter, Elisabet Gianna, with the other.

Their daughter was named after Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, who was one of the victims of the January 2020 helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of her father and seven others.

When Gasol joined the Los Angeles Lakers a little over 15 years ago, the 7-foot-7 Spaniard banished his ego, doubled down on his work ethic and immediately turned a struggling team into contenders who ultimately became champions.

The 17-time NBA champion franchise usually only retires the number of players in the Hall of Fame, and Gasol is a first-time finalist for the honor this year with a strong chance of making the cut.

Gasol made three of six career All-Star teams during his time with LA and averaged 17.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

“The excitement, the anticipation, the honor received, it’s so great that it’s been really hard to take in,” Gasol said. ‘I have to keep reminding myself that it’s a celebration. It’s great. It’s lovely. It’s great that you can experience this in your life.’

Gasol, 42, said he had trouble sleeping in recent days as he pondered the enormity of the Lakers’ gesture amid still-strong memories of his West Coast years.

The team scheduled the ceremony for halftime of the Lakers’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol chose Tuesday night to retire his Lakers jersey for a very good reason: He played his first seven NBA seasons with the Grizzlies, his first team after moving to the United States in 2001.

Memphis traded Gasol to the Lakers in February 2008, and the deal transformed both franchises.

While Gasol and Bryant immediately formed a dominant partnership, Memphis got a package that included Gasol’s younger brother, Marc, who went on to have a largely excellent 11 seasons with the Grizz.

Gasol was only the second Spanish player in NBA history and believes that his long and successful career helped erase the stereotype of the ‘soft’ European player.

Gasol noted that three Europeans can now be said to be the top three players in the league: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

“I’m proud to see that,” Gasol said. “That inspires not only European children, but also players all over the world. Give yourself a chance if you really want it. It’s been great to see the game grow globally.”

Gasol’s jersey represents the number 13 retired by the Lakers in honor of 12 players. His early-career No. 8 and Bryant’s late-career No. 24 are retired.

Jimmy Butler made sure to stop by Crypto.com Arena to honor his former Chicago Bulls teammate.

‘I’m here for Pau, obviously! Congratulations to my brother Pau. I love you man. Well deserved, the Hall of Fame is coming soon,” Butler said.