The Lakers have set the date when Pau Gasol's jersey will be retired. After six and a half years, in which he helped them win two NBA championships, the Lakers will raise the Spaniard's number 16 under the roof of the Crypto.com Arena on March 7, when the Memphis Grizzlies, the team he played for before the Lakers, visit Los Angeles.

Gasol came to the NBA from Barcelona as a 21-year-old, after the Grizzlies chose him third overall in the 2001 draft. He was named rookie of the year, and in 2006 he became an All-Star, and in 2008 the Lakers brought him in exchange for a package that included the draft rights to his brother Marc.

He was exactly the player Kobe Bryant needed in his quest for the first titles after parting ways with Shaquille O'Neal. Already in their first season together, they reached the finals, where they lost to Boston, but in the next two years, they won rings by beating Orlando and then Boston.

During the years together, he became extremely close to Bryant, and the great friendship between their families continues even after Kobe's tragic death.