Kobe predicted the retirement of Pau Gasol’s number 16 jersey with the Lakers 5 years ago at the Oscars
Last night was one of the most important days in the history of Spanish sport. The Los Angeles Lakers retired Pau Gasol’s number 16 number at the top of the Staples Center (we will always call him that) alongside true NBA legends like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and… Kobe Bryant, who 5 years ago predicted the tribute at the Oscars.
Pau is confirmed as the best spanish basketball player in history with one of the greatest recognitions that a player can receive: that an NBA franchise, the best league in the world, retire your number forever. And not just any franchise, but the most successful in the history of the league. One more achievement to add to his two champion rings, three Olympic medals, one World Cup, three Eurobasket…
Kobe Bryant also won many things throughout his successful sports career. NBA champion rings, Olympic medals, MVP trophies… However, what few remember today is that Kobe, in addition to succeeding in basketball, also did so in the world of cinema, winning an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2018 for ‘Dear Basketball’his love letter to the sport that elevated him among the greatest.
Kobe was often accused of being an individualist, of a hickey, and his two titles for the top scorer in the league and the record for the second highest score in history, the 81 points that brought him closer to the league, are there to support the theory. Wilt Chamberlain’s impossible 100 mark. But actually his successes always had the help of a partner.
Of his five championship rings, three came with (or thanks to) Shaquille, the MVP of all those finals. Kobe and Shaq parted ways and the Black Mamba tried to achieve solo success, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles franchise that Bryant was able to repeat being crowned champion. The Pau-Kobe duo landed two rings and forged a friendship that became practically a brotherly relationshipuntil a tragic helicopter crash took Kobe forever in early 2020.
Two years before his departure, At the 2018 Oscars gala, Kobe Bryant remembered his Spanish “brother” and predicted the withdrawal of his shirt with the Lakers in a video by Antonio Martín (EFE news agency) that was remembered today at the ceremony and that brought tears to all those present, including Pau.
“There is no debate. When Pau retires he will have his number at the top of the pavilion next to mine. The reality is that he would not have won those two rings without Pau. The city of Los Angeles would not have those two rings without Pau. We know it, everyone knows it. I’m looking forward to the day in which he receives that tribute and gives the speech in the middle of the field, in front of all the fans who have supported him. It will be an amazing night.”
That night came, but sadly for Pau, and for fans around the world, Kobe couldn’t be there. Or maybe, from the highest, above where their shirts hang…
Source: Fotogramas
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
