When Pau Gasol’s Lakers jersey was retired on Tuesday, Kobe Bryant’s friend and other former teammate Vanessa Bryant shocked the crowd by playing previously unseen footage of Kobe Bryant. Gasol, who shared the court with the late Kobe Bryant, will also have his retired jersey displayed next to Bryant’s.
Together in the rafters 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/24JHyDeBeD
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 8, 2023
Vanessa Bryant gave a touching letter to Gasol that played at the beginning of the tribute on Tuesday by introducing Pau. An older video from 2016 in which Vanessa Bryant predicted that Marc Gasol would retire from the NBA appeared after her introduction.
“There’s no debating how when he retires, he will have his number in the rafters next to mine. The reality is, I don’t win those championships without Pau… And I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court…” Kobe predicted in the rare clip from his own 2016 ceremony.
https://twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1633287496049078274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1633287496049078274%7Ctwgr%5E115c35add1a4b1dc57e04fa8a686dbecfc6886ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheshaderoom.com%2Fpau-gasols-lakers-jersey-retired-beside-kobe-bryants%2F
Prior to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, Pau Gasol’s #16 jersey was retired as club owners and players gathered to honor his contributions to the franchise. Gasol expressed his gratitude to the venue for recognizing his contribution to the team. He clarified, however, that he would be unable to go without paying tribute to his late buddy Kobe Bryant. The 7-foot former Laker also mentioned how he wished Bryant and his late daughter Gigi could have been present for this special occasion.
“But I can’t go on without talking about the person and the face I don’t see — the brother that elevated me, inspired me, challenged me to be a better player. Just to be a better man overall.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPCE3hmISL8
In addition to retiring his jersey on Tuesday, Gasol, 42, was also recognized on Sunday, February 19, during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Gasol received the 2023 Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award at the event. – Steve Sijenyi
