Following a remarkable NBA career that saw him win two NBA championships, the Los Angeles Lakers will grant Pau Gasol the ultimate honor. His jersey will hang high in the rafters starting March 3, 2023.
Gasol was only in Southern California for six years, but he was a key factor in the team’s resurgence in the late 2000s. He was the sidekick Kobe Bryant needed to lead the team to a ring in the post-Shaquille O’Neal era.
With Gasol on board, Kobe and the Lakes won back-to-back rings in 2009 and 2010 and made it to three straight NBA Finals. That’s why Bryant himself once claimed that there was no debate about whether to retirehis jersey or not.
Kobe Bryant Said There Was ‘No Debate’ On Retiring Pau Gasol’s Jersey
“There’s no debate,” Kobe sentenced. “Pau, when he retires, he will have his number in the rafters next month. The reality is I don’t win those championships without Pau. I can’t see how those two championships without Pau Gasol. We know that, everybody knows that. I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans who supported him through all the years. So, it’s gonna be an awesome night.”
Gasol Talks About Kobe’s ‘Mamba Mentality’
Gasol often credits Kobe for toughening him up and bringing the best out of his game. Recently, he told the story of the time he challenged him to see how much work he had put on during vacation, another example of his signature Mamba Mentality:
“I think he was on all the time,” Gasol told JJ Redick.“He was just on throughout the season. He might have some off nights or nights where he felt he was so dominant. Especially against the not-so-good teams where the extra pass or the right play may not be necessary all the time, he would take a little more load offensively. I remember a moment when we got done playing the Olympics in Beijing and we come back, I try to take some time off to give my mind and body a breather. Training camp was 3 weeks after that and Phil (Jackson) gave us a practice off. But Kobe challenged me to a one-on-one in the post, just to see where I was at because he kept working after the Olympics.”
Kobe and Pau complemented each other on and off the court, so it’s only natural to see them hanging together in immortality. Kobe sure left us way too early, but at least he’ll get his wish of watching Pau’s jersey right next to his.
