Pau Gasol Tearfully Laments Kobe Bryant’s Absence During Jersey Retirement
Five years ago, Kobe Bryant envisioned a scene that played out at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.
Standing tearfully in center court, former Lakers great Pau Gasol watched as his retired jersey was unveiled in the rafters next to No. 24 during halftime of the team’s game against the Grizzlies. It was a vision a smiling Bryant spoke into existence at an Oscar event in ’18.
“There is no debate. When he retires, he’ll have his number in the rafters next to mine,” Bryant said. “Reality is, I don’t win those championships without Pau. The city of L.A. doesn’t have those two championships without Pau. So, we know that, everybody knows that and I really look forward to the day when he’s there giving his speech at center court in front of all the fans who have supported him over the years. It’s going to be an awesome night.”
Bryant’s No. 24 and No. 8 jerseys seemed to beam as Gasol’s No. 16 took its rightful place next door. But missing from the ceremony was the fortune teller himself, leaving a gaping hole in center court and in Gasol’s celebration. Three years after the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, Gasol took the microphone and lamented the absence of his teammate.
Los Angeles acquired Gasol in a blockbuster trade with Memphis on Feb. 1, 2008. It was the roster boost the Lakers needed; the team made a deep postseason run that ended with a 4–2 series loss to the rival Celtics in the NBA Finals. But the big man and Bryant would avenge the loss, winning back-to-back titles in ’09 and ’10. The duo helped in bringing the Lakers to the playoffs in all of Gasol’s seasons with the team except ’14. While Bryant would play out his career in Los Angeles, Gasol signed with the Bulls in July 2014.
“I can’t go on without talking about the person and the face I don’t see,” Gasol said. “The brother that elevated me, inspired me, challenged me to be a better player. Just to be a better man overall—”
A prideful chant interrupted Gasol’s speech, with what seemed to be the entire arena yelling, “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”
“I miss him,” a tearful Gasol said. ”I miss him so much like many of us do. I love him, I wish he was here with Gigi. I really do. But I think he’ll be proud and he was looking forward to this moment so, I love you brother.”
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Half of Gasol’s six All-Star nods came during his six-year tenure with the Lakers. Though the humble 18-year veteran likened himself to “the second-grade player” of Los Angeles during that time, his impact was much more profound, becoming just the 12th Laker to have his jersey retired. The four-time All-NBA selection noted just how much he learned from Bryant in a Tuesday press conference.
“He definitely inspired me and showed me what it took to be the best player that you could be,” Gasol said. “The work ethic, the dedication, the mindset going into it, he challenged me to be better: with his actions, with his work, but also he was very intentional with his actions. I was in, I was all the way in. I would go as far as he would want me to go and I wanted to win. It was something very special time, a very special year. He really elevated me as he did with most of the players that we had, I think all of us. When you’re around a player or a person of that caliber—that demands excellence of himself and everyone else—I think that’s something you want to be around.”
