Grizzlies Retire Jersey of Beloved Big Man

Gasol, a 13-year NBA veteran, was a decorated player in his time with the Grizzlies. A three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, the magnum opus at the time was winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Of course, Gasol won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, the season after Memphis traded him. However, when Gasol won the award over LeBron James, it was the crowning achievement of his Grizzlies career. Long considered one of the better defensive big men in the league, Gasol’s performance that season helped Memphis win their most games (56) in franchise history.

The Greatest Player in Grizzlies History?

Speaking of history.

Gasol ranks first in minutes played (25,917), field goals (4,341), free-throws (2,701), rebounds (5,942), and blocks (1,135) in Grizzlies franchise history. He ranks second in games (769), points (11,684), assists (2,639), and triple-doubles (5), while coming in at third in steals (708). Making a strong case to be considered the greatest Grizzlies player of all-time, his only competition for the mantle is Mike Conley.

Conley, a teammate of Gasol for the center’s entire tenure in Memphis, made sure to show up for the retirement ceremony. Joining them were Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. Two of the most memorable players in Grizzlies history, Randolph and Allen were Gasol’s teammates for eight and seven seasons, respectively.

A Stirring Speech

During the ceremony, Gasol had an opportunity to address the crowd.

Responding to a question about when or if he’d come to view Memphis as a second home, the Barcelona native says, “Well, I had a very unique perspective because I came as a 16-year-old…”

“I had a perspective from the fan point of view of what is expected of the team here in Memphis. I did that for two years here and then obviously followed the team when I went back to Spain…”

When I came back as a Grizzlies player in 2008, I carried that with me. I played with that kind of pride. I hope everybody enjoyed what they saw for so many years.”

Alluding to his brother Pau Gasol’s tenure with the Grizzlies, it certainly is unique for Gasol to have been a fan of his brother’s team, only to begin his career with the same organization.

Gasol also addressed his former teammates.

“Back when I was 19 years old, I used to play a game… I used to imagine I was Michael Jordan with the fadeaway. I imagined I was Larry Bird with the 3. Or Magic Johnson with the no-look pass.

25 years later, I kind of played the same game after I got traded from the Grizzlies to the Raptors. I imagined ‘How would Tony Allen approach this defensive assignment tonight that he has against the best player on the other team?’… When they let me, or when they asked me, I thought ‘Okay, how is Z-Bo gonna take over this stretch of the game and be a piece on the block. And through it all, I thought, ‘How is Mike Conley going to keep it all together on a championship run.’”

“When I was able to accomplish the biggest goal as a basketball player,” Gasol says, “which is to win an NBA ring, these three guys that meant so much to me along the way were right there at the fore.”

It was a stirring speech and a monumental occasion.