A choked-up Pau Gasol has his No. 16 Lakers jersey retired to the rafters next to Kobe Bryant's No. 24 during a ceremony Tuesday night.
Anthony Davis finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, plus a bloodied nose, to lead the Lakers to a win over Memphis on Tuesday night.When Gasol was traded to the Lakers in February 2008 in one of the greatest deals in basketball history — Mitch Kupchak basically stole him from Memphis for Kwame Brown and an untested Marc Gasol — Bryant still was steaming mad about the team’s decaying roster.
Turns out, it was Gasol who brought Bryant back to earth. It was Gasol who helped keep Bryant in a Lakers uniform for the rest of his career. It was Gasol who helped the Lakers once again become the Lakers.Pau Gasol addresses the Crypto.com Arena crowd during his Lakers jersey retirement ceremony Tuesday.
Bryant immediately pounced on the nickname. He worked with Gasol in a way that he never could work with Shaquille O’Neal. Gasol didn’t fight him, he embraced him. Gasol didn’t stonewall, he sponged.“[Kobe] definitely inspired me and showed me what it took to be the best player that he could be — the work ethic, the dedication, the mindset going into it,” Gasol said.
Gasol finally toughened up to help the Lakers dominate in a 2009 playoff run that ended in a Finals victory in Orlando, then he really became a factor in 2010.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Lakers officially retire Pau Gasol's No. 16 jersey next to Kobe Bryant'sThe Los Angeles Lakers honored one of the franchise's all-time great centers on Tuesday night.
Leer más »
Swanson: Paying tribute to Pau Gasol – and Kobe Bryant, tooGasol describes Bryant as “the brother who elevated me, inspired me and challenged me to be a better player, just to be a better overall human,” but it went both ways.
Leer más »
Mamba Mentality and Gasol Grit: Why Kobe and Pau are forever linkedPau Gasol shared his thoughts on getting his jersey retired alongside Kobe Bryant and other Laker greats. More from mcten:
Leer más »
Pau Gasol gets emotional as Lakers retire his No. 16 jerseyThe Lakers retired Gasol’s No. 16 jersey Tuesday night, honoring the genteel big man who spent the best seasons of his 18-year NBA career with Bryant in Los Angeles.
Leer más »
Anthony Davis leads Lakers' win over Grizzlies after Pau Gasol's jersey is retiredAnthony Davis finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, plus a bloodied nose, to lead the Lakers to a win over Memphis on Tuesday night.
Leer más »
Pau Gasol’s greatest legacy might be his humanityThe Spaniard humbly compiled a Hall-of-Fame career that included a pair of Lakers titles alongside Kobe Bryant, but his mentorship, charity and friendship are what many cherish most.
Leer más »