Pau Gasol just made a big announcement about his pro basketball career. On Tuesday, the former NBA star who won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers announced his retirement after a two-decade career. Once Gasol made the announcement, it was reported the Lakers are planning to retire his No. 16 jersey.
“I’m going to retire from professional basketball,” Gasol said during a live-streamed press conference, per PEOPLE. “It’s a difficult decision after so many years, but it’s a decision that I really thought over.” Gasol began his pro basketball career in 1998 when he joined FC Barcelona. In 2001, Gasol, who played power forward and center, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks No. 3 overall in the NBA Draft. However, the Hawks traded the rights to Gasol to the Memphis Grizzlies and went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
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Gasol would spend eight years with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Lakers. He paired with the late Kobe Bryant and helped the team win titles in 2009 and 2010. In 2014, Gasol signed with the Chicago Bulls after spending nearly seven seasons with the Lakers. He would spend two seasons in Chicago before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2016 and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019. Earlier this year, Gasol annoucned he would play for FC Barcelona again.
“Pau Gasol is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players of his generation,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.”A two-time NBA champion, six-time NBA All-Star, three-time Olympic medalist and world champion, Paul inspired countless fans through his remarkable skill and passion for the game. But what sets Pau apart is his tireless commitment to giving back to his native Spain and other communities around the world, which he continues to make a priority. We congratulate Pau on an outstanding career and thank him for being such a dedicated ambassador for our league.”
Along with winning two NBA championships, Gasol was selected to play in the All-Star Game six times and was named to the All-NBA Team four times. During his speech, Gasol paid tribute to Bryant. “I want to make a special mention to Kobe Bryant. I’d very much like him to be here but that’s life,” Gasol said of Bryant, who died in January 2020. “He taught me how to be a better leader, better competitor, what it meant to be a winner.”
