The memory of his partner Kobe Bryant, deceased now a little more than three years ago, centered this Tuesday, early Wednesday morning in Spain, the speech of Pau Gasol in the tribute received at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where the team to which he gave so much retired his shirt the 16 of the best Spanish player of all time. Excited, he could not avoid tears at the retirement of the Lakers shirt. Pau Gasol (Barcelona, July 6, 1980) cried when he saw his shirt next to Kobe Bryant’s, his head stretched out observing the ’16’ hanging on the roof of the venue next to the ’24’ of his brother’s. he.
Pau was the first Spanish athlete to receive this honor, the seventh European and the twelfth player from the Lakers to do so in the NBA, where a total of 206 players have received the unique distinction of removing the jersey in its entire history. No one else will wear the ’16’ in an iconic team like the Lakers, that number will be infinitely tied to the figure of Pau.
It was during the break of the game between the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies, the franchise with which he landed in the United States and where his brother Marc played. The Los Angeles Coliseum surrendered to his achievements on the track during the break of the local victory against. Applauding, everyone, and of course, all the important figures in his personal and sporting life. The top managers of the team, former teammates, friends, as well as the fans, dressed in their purple and gold shirt and the ’16’, courtesy of the organization of the evening. Of Juan Carlos Navarro until Juancho Hernangómez, going through José Calderón, Felipe Reyes and Raül López, the cast of stars present for the great ceremony included giants such as Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and guys like Derek Fisher or Jimmy Butler, his former teammate at the Chicago Bulls.
“I love you sister, I am proud to be your brother and the uncle of your daughters,” he told Kobe Bryant’s widow
Pau, who is now 42 years old, lived the moments before the tribute sitting next to his daughter Elizabeth Gianna in the front row of the pavilion where he gave it his all between 2008 and 2014, winning two NBA rings. During his speech, after crying with emotion at seeing his ’16’ on top with other basketball greats such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant, he did not skip any thanks and had heartfelt words for his family and all those who helped him in the path. “Thank you so much, what an incredible feeling, what a tremendous honor to receive this tribute,” Pau started. “I love you sister, I am proud to be your brother and the uncle of your daughters”, commented when thanking the presentation of Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, who gave way to a famous video of the deceased myth explaining why the figure of Pau was so important in the history of the Lakers.
“I am speechless, to see all these faces here, to everyone at home. I can only say thank you, you have made me feel very special and it has been an honor to wear this jersey, to play for this franchise. I cannot go on without remembering the face and the person that I don’t see here today, the brother who brought me here,” he continued. The reference sparked chants dedicated to Kobe in the stands. “I missed him terribly and I know he was looking forward to this moment. I love him and I would have loved it if he could have been here with Gigi,” he added.
“As a kid in Spain, I had a dream. I wanted to become a basketball player and play in the NBA, but I never imagined in a million years that a day like this could come. It’s an enormous honor to be among these great individuals in this great franchise,” he recalled.