Nobody will wear No. 16 on the Lakers ever again.
On Tuesday, March 7, the Lakers will retire Pau Gasol's jersey alongside the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena.
Gasol's jersey will be retired on a night when Los Angeles faces Memphis. That's no accident. While Gasol had the most productive stretch of his career with the Lakers, he established himself as one of the best big men in the NBA as a member of the Grizzlies.
Just how good was Gasol? Here's why the Lakers are honoring the Hall of Fame nominee.
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Why are the Lakers retiring Pau Gasol's jersey?
The Lakers acquired Gasol and a second-round pick from the Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, Aaron McKie and two first-round picks that became Donté Greene and Greivis Vásquez during the 2007-08 season.
Gasol was already a one-time All-Star when the Lakers traded for him. He earned three more All-Star selections in a Lakers uniform, as well as two All-NBA Third Team selections and an All-NBA Second Team selection.
Gasol played a key role in the Lakers earning championships in 2009 and 2010 as the team's starting power forward/center. Perhaps his most memorable performance came in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals when he helped lift the Lakers over a Celtics team that featured Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. While Kobe Bryant led the way in scoring with 23 points, Gasol finished with 19 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
"A favorite Pau story? Well, I don't know if it's a story, but Game 7," former Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told ESPN. "Everybody played just ridiculously hard and with passion, but Pau just seemed to me to be possessed.
"Some players, you don't know how they're going to respond. Are they going to match the physicality of the other team or are they going to be a step behind? And I just remember that game."
In total, Gasol appeared in 429 regular season games with the Lakers, posting averages of 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks per contest. Over six playoff runs, he averaged 16.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Times ranked Gasol as the 12th greatest player in franchise history. In 2021, HoopsHype ranked the Spaniard as the fifth-best international player of all time, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steve Nash.
In addition to the Grizzlies and Lakers, Gasol played for the Bulls, Spurs and Bucks in his NBA career.
Which numbers have the Lakers retired?
Gasol's jersey will be the 14th number the Lakers have retired in franchise history. That includes Celtics legend Bill Russell, whose No. 6 was retired by every team in the NBA before the 2022-23 season.
| Jersey number | Player |
| 6 | Bill Russell |
| 8 | Kobe Bryant |
| 13 | Wilt Chamberlain |
| 16 | Pau Gasol |
| 22 | Elgin Baylor |
| 24 | Kobe Bryant |
| 25 | Gail Goodrich |
| 32 | Magic Johnson |
| 33 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| 34 | Shaquille O'Neal |
| 42 | James Worthy |
| 44 | Jerry West |
| 52 | Jamaal Wilkes |
| 99 | George Mikan |
When is Pau Gasol's jersey retirement?
- Date: Tuesday, March 7
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET | 7:00 p.m. PT
- TV channel: TNT
- Live stream: Sling TV
Gasol's jersey will be retired at halftime of Lakers vs. Grizzlies. The game will tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET and be broadcast nationally on TNT. Viewers in the United States can also stream it on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games during the final stretch of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! Stream Sling Orange for $20 in your first month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $27.50 in your first month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.
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Pau Gasol career stats, accomplishments, net worth, highlights
Stats
- 17.0 points per game
- 9.2 rebounds per game
- 3.2 assists per game
- 1.6 blocks per game
- 0.5 steals per game
- 2.2 turnovers per game
- 33.4 minutes per game
- 50.7 percent field goal shooting
- 36.8 percent 3-point shooting
- 75.3 percent free throw shooting
Accomplishments
- 6-time All-Star
- 4-time All-NBA
- 2-time NBA champion
- Rookie of the Year
- All-Rookie First Team
Net worth
Gasol earned $225.4 million in contracts during his NBA career, over half of which he made with the Lakers.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gasol currently has a net worth of $120 million.
