LeBron James was one of the big names missing when former Los Angeles Lakers legend Pau Gasol’s jersey was retired earlier this month, and the big man had a blunt response when asked about it.
“I didn’t know LeBron wasn’t coming,” Gasol told NBA commentator Antoni Daimiel on NBA en Movistar. “It was not important to me,” he added.
Pau Gasol: "No sabía que LeBron no venía, no me di cuenta tampoco, para mí no era relevante"#Gasol16 #dormiresdecobardes pic.twitter.com/h6HoST1tUW
— NBA en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarNBA) March 17, 2023
It does come as a surprise that James was not in the crowd when Gasol’s jersey went up to some raucous cheering at the Crypto.com Arena. That said, it should also be noted that James and Gasol didn’t necessarily share a deeper connection like the latter did with the late Kobe Bryant.
But then, it would have been nice to see the two exchange pleasantries. After all, both players are franchise superstars.
LeBron James May Have Missed The Ceremony, But Jimmy Butler Was There To Celebrate Pau Gasol’s Ceremony
One of the major surprises was Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler making an appearance during the jersey retirement ceremony.
Both players were seen hugging each other. Gasol and Butler played together between 2014 and 2016 and the former was instrumental in helping Butler rapidly ascend as the next big thing in the league.
While they couldn’t win at the Bulls, Gasol retired with the two titles he had won with the Lakers. Only time will tell if Butler can indeed win one with the Heat this season.
The even bigger highlight was when Gasol shared an emotional tribute to Bryant. “I can’t go long without talking about the person and the face I don’t see,” he said.
“The brother that elevated me, inspired me and challenged me to be a better player and to be a better man overall. I miss him. I miss him so much like many of us do, I love him. I wish he was here with Gigi, I really do. But I think he’d be proud and he was looking forward to this moment. I love you, brother.”
James may have missed the ceremony, but there’s no doubt that it wouldn’t have dampened Gasol’s big night.
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