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The day when Pau Gasol's jersey will be lifted up on the rafters is approaching. On March 7, the LA Lakers will honor the two-time NBA champion as they retire his jersey number next to the late Kobe Bryant.
Gasol was a great co-star for Bryant. Their competitiveness on and off the court is almost brotherly. On ESPN, they discussed how Gasol's impact shaped the Lakers' organization. Additionally, they shared an interview from the past in which Bryant said he was excited to see Gasol's jersey retirement.
"It's a no-brainer. This is somebody who was basically Robin to Kobe’s Batman," ESPN's Marc J. Spears said. "This is the first international player who ever have his jersey retired with the Lakers.
"He'll be eligible to make it to the Hall of Fame next year. I don't see any way he doesn't make it to Springfield."
Lakers fans are thrilled to see the former teammates' numbers next to each other. On that night, Los Angeles will face the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that drafted Gasol third overall in 2001.
Retiring Pau Gasol's jersey number is a classy move by the LA Lakers
Pau Gasol is finally getting the recognition he deserves. In the past, fans mocked him for being soft, and he was even blamed for the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. Gasol was able to avenge his image in 2009 and 2010 when Los Angeles won back-to-back titles.
In the 2010 Finals, the six-time All-Star was a problem at the low post, averaging 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He proved to everyone that he wasn't soft. He battled the Celtics' bruisers for seven grueling games, going up against Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins. All of them were extremely physical, and Gasol withstood them all.
Even after their legendary playoff runs, Gasol was patient with the organization. After their failed super team, Pau didn't leave the Lakers, and even with a ton of trade rumors about him, he stayed loyal to the franchise.
After all that, Gasol left the Lakers for the Chicago Bulls, where he put up back-to-back All-Star seasons. He even made history with his brother, Marc, as they were the first set of brothers to start an All-Star game on the same night.
Gasol is an inspiration to many international basketball players who want to make it big in the NBA. The 2002 Rookie of the Year's impact isn't just based on his on-court talent. Gasol's acts of kindness to everyone he encouters separates him from the other stars.
It is a bit disheartening to many Lakers fans that Kobe Bryant won't be there during Gasol's big night. Their never-ending support for each other is an inspiration to many.
