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The Los Angeles Lakers are in a crucial stretch of their schedule as they try to achieve the postseason, however on Tuesday, one of the vital essential nights of the season arrived with out having something to do with what is going on on the court docket. With his authentic workforce (the Memphis Grizzlies) on the town, the Lakers retired the No. 16 jersey of workforce legend Pau Gasol, who performed six and a half seasons in Los Angeles and gained two championships for the purple and gold.
A variety of NBA luminaries have been readily available for the occasion. Gasol’s coach with the Lakers, Phil Jackson was within the constructing. Former teammate Jimmy Butler, who presently performs for the Miami Heat and has a house recreation tomorrow evening, flew to Los Angeles to rejoice Gasol. Marc Gasol, Pau’s brother who was a part of the commerce that bought the elder Gasol to Los Angeles, was additionally within the constructing. As the Lakers raised the No. 16 jersey into the rafters, Gasol could not maintain again tears from the court docket.
Sadly, certainly one of Gasol’s favourite teammates and the chief of these two Lakers championship groups was lacking. Laker legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in 2020, however his household, whom Gasol has remained shut with, was in attendance. On an evening by which Gasol’s jersey was raised subsequent to Bryant’s, he lamented the lack of his teammate and wished that he may have been there to rejoice with him.
The Lakers have retired solely 14 numbers, which signify 13 gamers as each of Bryant’s numbers have been taken out of circulation. Considering their standing as a 17-time champion, coming into that membership is among the nice honors an NBA participant can obtain. As of Tuesday, Gasol can formally say that no Laker will ever once more put on his quantity, and it is an honor he earned as one of many best gamers in franchise historical past.
