On Tuesday, the Lakers retired Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey to honor the great athlete who spent the best seasons of his 18-year NBA career with the late Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.
Gasol’s banner was unveiled during a halftime ceremony that began with Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, who shared a video an old video of Kobe saying he was looking forward to the day when Gasol gave a speech at center court during his jersey retirement. Gasol became visibly emotional while watching the sweet video and standing in that exact spot.
“There’s no debate,” Bryant said in the video. “Pau, when he 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 L.A. doesn’t have those two championships without Pau. We know that. Everybody knows that. And I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans who have supported him over the years. And so, it’s going to be an awesome night,” Kobe says in the old clip.
The big celebration marked the first time Vanessa had returned to the Crypto.com Arena since Kobe’s memorial as she honored her late husband’s close friend. While waking away tears, Gasol started by thanking Vanessa Bryant during his speech: “Love you, sister. I’m proud to be your brother and proud to be an uncle to your girls.”
He continued his speech by honoring his late teammate.
“I can’t go on without talking about the person and the face that I don’t see,” Gasol said. “The brother that elevated me, challenged me, inspired me to be a better player. Just to be a better man overall.” He took a moment as a “Ko-be! Ko-be! Ko-be!” chant started in the arena.
“I miss him. I miss him so much like many of us do,” Gasol said. “I love him. I wish he was here with Gigi. I really do. But I think he’ll be proud. And he was looking forward to this moment. So, I love you, brother.”
The Lakers reached three straight NBA Finals after Gasol’s arrival in February 2008, winning championships in 2009 and 2010. Pau Gasol is now the 12th Lakers player to have jersey retired.
Well deserved!
Press Play Below To Watch Pau Gasol’s Jersey Retirement Ceremony:
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