Lakers to Retire Pau Gasol's No. 16 Jersey

Gasol played seven with the Lakers, winning two championships with the franchise.

The Lakers plan on retiring Pau Gasol's No. 16 jersey.

Gasol announced his retirement from basketball Tuesday in a news conference broadcast on his Twitter page. The team said it will honor Gasol by retiring his number, though it is unclear when the ceremony will take place.

Gasol played 18 seasons in the NBA, seven of which came with the Lakers. While with the franchise, he won two championships, forming a close bond with Kobe Bryant.

Querido baloncesto, gracias por todo.

Dear basketball, thank you for everything.

Estimat bàsquet, gràcies per tot.

❤️🏀 pic.twitter.com/I6TemPrA5T

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) October 5, 2021

Now 41, he 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. Gasol also finishes his career having made six All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams.

From the SI Vault: The Power of Pau

He began his NBA career in 2001 with the Grizzlies, after being selected No. 3 in the draft. After being traded to the Lakers, and starring with the franchise, he went on to play with the Bulls, Spurs and Bucks.

Gasol has not played in the NBA since March 2019 but spent last season with Barcelona, playing for the same team where he began his pro career. 

His younger brother, Marc, who was recently waived by the Grizzlies following an offseason trade by the Lakers, has elected to stay in Europe this season and reportedly will play for the Spanish club Girona, which he owns.

Los Angeles has retired 11 numbers from past Lakers greats.