Pau Gasol Gets Emotional Talking About Kobe Bryant as Lakers Retire His Jersey

Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol may be one of the most underrated sidekicks in sports history. However, as the Los Angeles Lakers retired his No. 16 jersey on Tuesday, the Spaniard got emotional as he spoke about Kobe Bryant.

Gasol won two championships alongside the "Black Mamba," and the two-time NBA champion was saddened that his partner could not be in his jersey retirement. Bryant and his daughter Gigi died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

Gasol and Bryant were so close that after Bryant passed away, Gasol named his daughter Elisabet Gianna Gasol after Bryant's late daughter, Gianna. He and his wife also chose Vanessa Bryant, the Black Mamba's wife, to be her godmother. Gasol is also the godfather of one of Bryant's children.

According to CBS Sports, in his speech at the Crypto.com Arena, previously known as the Staples Center, Gasol said that his jersey retirement was inevitable and that the big reason for him being up there with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson was because of Bryant, whose two jersey numbers, 8 and 24, have been retired by the team.

During the halftime ceremony, Gasol said: "I can't go on without talking about the person and the face that I don't see. The brother that elevated me, inspired me, challenged me to be a better player... just to be a better man overall."

Gasol is considered one of the most versatile basketball players, not just for helping lead the Lakers to two NBA championships but also for leading Spain to win the FIBA World Cup in 2006 after Greece embarrassingly eliminated the LeBron James-led United States in the semi-finals.

Since then, Spain has become a contender for the Olympic Gold and the Basketball World Cup, even pushing the U.S. "Redeem Team" led by Bryant, James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony into a close final game during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Pau Gasol Not Able to Sleep Before His Jersey Retirement Due to Excitement

Pau Gasol spoke about how much of an honor it was for such a prestigious team like the Lakers to retire his jersey. He was so excited that the "Big Spaniard" admitted it had been hard to take in.

According to The Score, Gasol was so excited that he barely had any night's sleep. He then honored Kobe Bryant again, saying, "I have to keep reminding myself that it's a celebration. It's great. It's lovely. It's just great that you can experience this in your life."

When his jersey was sent to the rafters of the Crypto.com Arena, Gasol's number 16 was fittingly placed right next to Bryant's numbers 8 and 24. When his jersey was retired on Tuesday night, the Lakers were facing the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that drafted him.

Gasol was making strides in the NBA as the only second Spanish player ever at that time when he made his rookie debut with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He contributed to erasing the stereotype of the "soft" European player and even noted that the top three NBA players now are all European: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic.

Rafael Nadal Pays Tribute to Pau Gasol as the Los Angeles Lakers Retire Number 16

While the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated the Spanish legend, another Spanish sports icon also paid tribute to Pau Gasol.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal paid tribute to his countryman, saying that the Lakers jersey retirement was massive for Spain, according to Clutch Points.

"For the Los Angeles Lakers to retire Pau Gasol's jersey is something incredible to me," said the tennis great.

"It is someone who is not American in a team that is probably the most emblematic in the history of the NBA. For them to retire the jersey of a player who is not American, who is Spanish, and someone I personally have lived it very closely makes me very excited. I think it is a day of celebration and to be proud of what he has achieved," Nadal added.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Congratulations Pau! Lakers Legends & Teammates on Gasol's Jersey Retirement - From Los Angeles Lakers