Paul Gasol He is already eternal with the Los Angeles Lakers. March 7, 2023 (March 8 Spanish time) It has already become one of the great dates in the history of Spanish sport. Since this morning, the basketball player has become the first Spaniard to “retire” his jersey in NBA history.
A moving ceremony with which the Los Angeles team wanted to recognize its contribution by winning two rings in the last decade. A player who has become the key to the triumph of a team led by Kobe Bryant that the Spanish athlete remembered in his memory.
Because among the innumerable thanks that Pau Gasol addressed, the one that he addressed to his tragically deceased ex-companion and to his daughter who also died in a helicopter accident a few years ago was the only one that broke him in the point of shedding tears..
Gasol’s tears were mingled with cries of “Kobe, Kobe” from a clubhouse packed with spectators who witnessed the historic moment. The Pau number 16 is already part of the history of Spanish basketball and the NBA.
This was the player’s full speech:
“Thank you. Thank you very much. What an honor and an amazing feeling. Thank you Vanessa for the intro video. I think you are here and I can’t tell you all what it means to me that you are here. I am proud to be my sister, to be your brother and to be the uncle of your little girls. I am speechless, to see all these faces here, to everyone at home. I can only say thank you , you made me feel so special and it was an honor to wear that jersey, to play for this franchise, to contribute to this city… It was. Thank you. I can’t say goodbye without remember the face and the person that i don’t see here today, the brother who brought me here, raised me and made me better i miss him, i miss him so much and i know that “He was looking forward to this moment. I love him and I would have loved it if he could have been here with Gigi. I think you would be proud of this moment. I love you brother.”
“As a child in Spain, I had a dream. I wanted to become a basketball player and play in the NBA, but I never imagined in a million years that a day like this could happen. It’s a huge honor to be among these great individuals in this great franchise, so it goes to show that there’s no limit to what you can do, what you can accomplish, be the best version of yourself every single day, like we all know, the Mamba mentality.
“Looks like yesterday we were here for that 2010 Game 7 win over the Celtics. What a night, what a day to remember. I’ll never forget that moment, and I don’t think you will either. I want to thank all my family, my parents, my brothers, for supporting me throughout my life and for loving me, I love you, inspiring me, supporting me (I love you from the bottom heart). I love you darling, thank you so much for these two children that I love so dearly.”
“This couldn’t have happened without my other family, the Lakers family. Thank you Dr Buss, Jeanie, for all you do, you are amazing and I love you. Linda too. Rob, my brother, thank you for to be there tonight Thank you Mitch Kupchak for this opportunity Phil Jackson Phil you are unique I know it and we all know it Thank you for recommending the book to your players, for introducing me to the world of meditation. I love you dead. You are already your family. To my teammates, who are here. I cannot thank you enough. For adopting me, for making me better, for raising me and making me me a better player. I hope you feel like a part of this jersey is yours, because it is. To the coaches and workers of the organization, thank you. You make possible what we do here on the track”.
“To the city of LA and the nation of the Lakers, I love you deeply and forever. Thank you for making me feel so special, it was an honor, truly. Thank you so much to all the Lakers fans, to the entire Hispanic community Thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart.”
“A todos los medios, muchas gracias por vuetro trabajo. Gracias a vosotros podemos alcanzar a millones de personas. I love you.
“I will end with one thing: much is expected of those who have received much. I will continue to be committed to impacting others, making a difference, inspiring others, helping and transforming this world into a better and healthier world. place. I love you all, thank you so much.”
Pau Gasol’s jersey is already shining at the top of what was once the Staples Center in Los Angeles alongside the two Kobe Bryants (8 and 24) as the American predicted a few years ago.
Congratulations Paul!