Pau Gasol said it would be an emotional moment to see his Lakers jersey hanging next to his friend and teammate, Kobe Bryant. The Spaniard’s iconic No. 16 jersey will be retired when the Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Per ESPN, Gasol was a proud man when he spoke that his jersey would be up there among the Lakers greats. “Just trying to little by little take it in and just digest and comprehend that my number, my jersey will be up there with those great amazing players and names in the history of our game” (via ClutchPoints)
He added: “And obviously being next to Kobe, seeing his name, it’s still emotional. And I know that that’s going to be the triggering point for me…So those two factors together are just a tough cocktail.”
Gasol’s jersey will be next to the legendary Nos. 8 and 24 of his late teammate, and that serves as a testimony to what the duo was able to achieve on the floor when they played together. They combined for three straight Finals appearances and two NBA titles.
Pau Gasol Paid A Fitting Tribute To Kobe Bryant During The All-Star Weekend
The Rising Stars game during the All-Star weekend saw a rich tribute go towards Kobe Bryant, and paying it was none other than Gasol, who was in Utah as one of the coaches.
Per ClutchPoints, he was lavish in his praise and also added that it was Bryant who unlocked Gasol’s ability to play at a high level. “Every step of the way, he’s on my mind, he’s in my heart along with Gigi. And he’s going to be there forever,” Gasol said. “I grew as a player, I played at a high-level thanks to him, in great part.”
Bryant and Gasol’s friendship has been well-documented. In yet another heart-warming gesture, the latter named his newborn daughter after Gianna, who was one of the victims of the tragic helicopter crash in January 2020. It’s fair to say Gasol has incredible respect and admiration for the man who he had a scintillating and successful run with.
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