[Dismas]

Pau Gasol is retiring at 41. The Lakers will be retiring #16 from future use, in honor of Gasol's contributions.

I don't watch basketball much anymore, but 2000-2010 were easily my favorite years for the sport. I remember when he originally signed with the Lakers in 2008, just a few years after Shaq left. Him and Kobe were awesome together, going on to win two additional championships after Shaq's departure.

After 19 NBA seasons, center/forward Pau Gasol announced his retirement during a news conference in Barcelona on Tuesday.

The six-time All-Star won back-to-back NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. On the international stage, Gasol won silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze in Rio in 2016, in addition to FIBA World Cup gold in 2006 and three EuroBasket titles.

Gasol, now 41, is one of just four players in NBA history with more than 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

The Lakers plan to retire Gasol’s No. 16 jersey.

Read More: https://theathletic.com/news/former-lake...XGJIC2SmRw