When the Los Angeles Lakers tipoff the 2022-23 season next month, they will begin their quest for their 18th NBA title in franchise history. While many in the media world think that dream is far fetched in what is anticipated to be a very stacked Western Conference, the Lakers feel they have as good a chance as anyone in the West to represent it in the 2023 Finals this spring. What will take place during their Mar. 7, 2023 tilt against one of the anticipated powerhouse squads in the West should serve as motivation in their quest for their first title since 2020.
On Mar. 7, 2023 when the Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com, they will retire the No. 16 jersey of
future Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, the team announced back in the middle of last
month. Gasol, who averaged 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 52.2
percent from the field in 429 games over his six-plus season with the “Purple
and Gold” earning three of his five career All-Star selections was a major
contributor to the Lakers back-to-back titles in 2009 over the Orlando Magic
4-1 and in epic seven-game series win over the arch-rival Boston Celtics the
next spring. He will be the 11th person to have their jersey raised
to the rafters of Lakers home arena, now Crypto.com Arena to never be worn
again.
Lakers promoted their
latest upcoming jersey retirement on their Twitter page @ Lakers in the
afternoon Aug. 17 saying, “A Champion, legend, and forever part of the Lakers
Family. 3/7/23-We raise Pau Gasol’s jersey into the rafters.”
Gasol’s No. 16 will be
the latest center to have their jersey immortalized by the 17-time NBA champion
Lakers being placed alongside Hall of Fame centers in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No.
33), Shaquille O’Neal (No. 34), and Wilt Chamberlin (No. 13) as well as fellow
Laker Hall of Famers and perennial NBA champs in the late Kobe Bryant (No. 8
and No. 24), Earvin “Magic” Johnson (No. 32), Jerry West (No. 44), Elgin Baylor
(No. 22), James Worthy (No. 42), Gail Goodrich (No. 25), and Jamaal Wilkes (No.
52).
Gasol, who was drafted No. 3 overall by
the Grizzlies from Spain in the 2001 NBA Draft was dealt to the Lakers on Feb.
1, 2008, along with a Second-Round draft pick for Kwame Brown, Javaris
Crittenton, and the current head coach of the Temple University Owls Aaron
Mckie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol (Pau’s younger brother), who played for
the Lakers two seasons back and First Round picks in 2008 and 2010.
The 2002 Kia Rookie of the Year, the first non-American to win that honor in NBA history and All-Rookie First Team selection in 2001 teamed with the late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant to guide the Lakers to three straight appearances in NBA Finals and as mentioned adding two more Larry O’Brien trophies to the Lakers’ trophy case.
The two-time All-NBA Third Team selection (2009
and 2010) in his time with the Lakers finished No. 9 in field goal percentage,
rebounds, and block shots and 10th in triple-doubles. until 2014
when he moved on to play for another historic franchise in the six-time NBA champion
Chicago Bulls (2014-16), earning his fifth and sixth All-Star selections. He
then moved on to join the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs (2016-19).
Had a cup of coffee with the two-time NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (three games
in 2019).
Lakers To Have Their Jersey Retired In
Fewest Years With Team
Wilt Chamberlin: 5 years, won one championship
Gail Goodrich: nine years, won one championship
Shaquille O’Neal: eight years, won three championships
Jamaal Wilkes: eight years, won three championships
Pau Gasol: seven years, won two championships
Gasol and Hall of Famers and NBA champions
in the aforementioned Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are the only
four players in NBA history to register 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,500
assists, and 1,500 block shots. Gasol in his career totaled , 20,894 points,
11,305 rebounds, 3,925 assists, and 1,941 blocks in 1,226 games played in his
18-year NBA career.
In debating on whether Gasol earned the
great privilege to have their jersey retired, former Ohio State linebacker and
former NFL player now co-host of “The Rally” on Bally Sports Joshua Perry in
response when asked by Russell Dorsey if Gasol should have his jersey retired
by Lakers said there are a number of things that go into it.
Among those factors are did you put your
name into a high number of statistical categories? Were you able to change the
makeup of said franchise you were a part of? Was there a direct shift into how
things were going once you came on the scene and where it actually ended up? Were
you a major contributor, an integral part to your team winning the highest honor
in team sports?
“If a guy wasn’t a champion in an
organization. If we didn’t take it all the way, I don’t think I can retire the
number. I’m willing to overlook a lot of other factors that go into it,” Perry
said. “But championship ball is all that really matters at the end of the day
if you’re going to be one of the greats in my opinion to get your number
retired.”
The acquisition of Gasol looking back on
it now was a game-changing move for the Lakers, which gave Bryant the closet
formidable sidekick in the frontcourt since Shaquille O’Neal (1996-2004) as
well as gave the Lakers a consistent scoring, rebounding, and rim protecting
presence for six-and-a-half seasons.
A couple of years prior when Bryant was
testing the waters of free agency, there was a hint that Bryant had interest in
signing with the Bulls. He decided to remain with the Lakers signing a
seven-year, $136.4 million contract after O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat
for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant.
Bryant went through a
tough four-and-a-half following that missing the playoffs in 2005 and getting
knocked out in the opening round of the Playoffs in 2006 and 2007. Back in 2004-05
season, where they Lakers finished 34-48, then former Lakers head coach and
fellow Hall of Famer Phil Jackson wrote a book entitled “The Last Season: A
Team In Search Of Its Soul” that detailed the Lakers tumultuous 2003-04
season. In the book, Jackson was very critical of Bryant, specifically calling
him “un-coachable.” Jackson also detailed in his book the public rifts he head
with then teammate in fellow Hall of Famer Karl Malone and Hall of Famer Ray
Allen.
The next season had a
Bryant at a crossroads in his basketball career. Even with those past
differences when the Lakers were in pursuit in bringing back Jackson as head
coach, Bryant endorsed the move by the Lakers front office and by all accounts
the two worked well together the second go-around. The Lakers made it back to
the Playoffs both in 2006 and 2007 but lost in the opening-round 4-3 and 4-1
respectably to the now Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash led Phoenix Suns.
In late May 2007, ESPN
reported that Bryant stated he wanted to be traded from the Lakers if West did not
return to the organization with full authority. Bryant later confirmed how he
wanted West back with the Lakers but denied making any statement that he wanted
to be traded if the Lakers did not honor his request. Three days later in a radio
interview with Stephen A. Smith, now co-host of ESPN’s “First Take,” Bryant
expressed his anger over a Lakers “insider” claiming he was responsible for
O’Neal being traded from the team and publicly stated, “I want to be traded.”
In another interview three hours later, Bryant stated after conversing with
Coach Jackson, he backed off his trade request.
That turnabout was
rewarded nine months later when as mentioned earlier when Lakers acquired Gasol
and three straight Finals appearance followed that ended with back-to-back
titles.
While he may have not
been in the fold for the Lakers for a decade-plus, Pau Gasol was a major reason
the Lakers returned to championship form. He was not only exceptional from an
individual production standpoint but he was a major connector into how the Lakers
got back to the NBA championship round and came through with titles in two of
their three chances.
More than that, his acquisition
and play contributed to Kobe Bryant finishing his career with the Lakers and
helped to add two more titles to his career resume.
Gasol like Chamberlin,
Goodrich, O’Neal, and Wilkes before him came to the Lakers and added to their
championship legacy in their short period of time there.
“If you were in a place for only three to four years and you were a part of the DNA of why there was success in that place. I think that you can make a case that the number should be retired,” Perry said.
On Mar. 7, 2023, the Los
Angeles Lakers will raise the No. 16 jersey of future Hall of Famer Pau Gasol,
who earned this honor with his play on both ends of the court in his seven
seasons with the “Purple and Gold.” More than anything, his acquisition 14
years ago from the Memphis Grizzlies not only got the Lakers back to the top of
the NBA mountain it kept what many considered one of the greatest players in
franchise history in the fold in Kobe Bryant.
The only sad part is
Bryant will not be on hand for this great moment as he, his middle daughter
Gianna “Gigi” Bryant and seven other individuals were killed in a helicopter
crash Jan. 26, 2020.
One thing can be said,
when Gasol’s jersey retirement takes place, Bryant will be watching from up
above with a big smile of gratitude and appreciation.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gasolpa01.html; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant#Coming_up_short_(2004-2004); https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant#Back_on_top_(2007-2010);
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pau_Gasol;
www.statmuse.com; and 8/18/2022 5:30 p.m. “The Rally” on Bally Sports Oklahoma With Brooke Fletcher, Russell Dorsey, and Joshua Perry.
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