Former Spanish player Pau Gasol, already a Lakers legend with his ’16’ retired in the Angelino fiefdom, assured in his thank you speech at Crypto.com Arena that it is an «incredible honor» to see his dorsal at the top of the pavilion and that it is something he would never have dreamed of, and even less to be next to the ’24’ of the late Kobe Bryant, of whom he remembered on several occasions.
«What an incredible feeling and what an incredible honor. I want to start by thanking Vanessa [Bryant], thank you for the video and the introduction. You’re here, you don’t know how much this means to me. I love you, sis. I’m proud to be your brother and an uncle to your beloved daughters,» Pau noted in the opening of his speech.
Emotionally, with tears in his eyes, he remembered Kobe Bryant. «I can’t go on without talking about a person whose face I don’t see here. A brother who lifted me up, who inspired me, challenged me to be a better player and person. I miss him dearly, as many of you do. I loved him, I wish he was here; I would be proud because he sought this moment. I love you, brother,» he expressed.
«I’m overwhelmed to see all the faces, to see all of you here, all of you watching at home. I want to thank you, it has been an honor for me to wear this jersey, to play in this franchise, for this team, for this city,» said the Catalan.
He assured that, as a child, he dreamed of being a basketball player and playing in the NBA. «But I never, in a million years, thought this moment would be possible, to live this great honor, to be with such important individuals in such an incredible franchise. It tells you that you don’t have to put limits on what you can do, what you can achieve, you have to try to be the best you can be. That was the ‘Mamba mentality,'» he contributed in reference to his former teammate.
«It seems like yesterday when he was here, in a Game 7 of the Finals beating the Celtics. What a night, what a day to remember, I’ll never forget it. I don’t think you will either,» he said, again in tears to the cheers of the fans in the pavilion, as he recalled the 2010 victory over the Celtics, the Lakers’ executioner two years earlier.
Pau Gasol did not forget his family, teammates and coaching staff. «And I want to thank my family, my parents, my brothers. Thank you for being here and for inspiring me, for supporting me throughout my life, for loving me. I love you guys,» he said, looking at his parents and siblings, with Marc Gasol also visibly moved.
«This wouldn’t be without my other family, the Lakers. Thank you, selor Buss, Jeanie, for the vision of your family and what you do. Phil Jackson (his coach at the Lakers), thank you for encouraging your players to read. Thank you for introducing me to mindfulness. I love you to death, you and your entire family. To my teammates here, thank you for helping me, hugging me and welcoming me. I hope you feel a piece of that jersey is yours, because it is,» he said, looking at former teammates like Derek Fisher.
True to his principles, he ended his speech this way: «To those who are given much, much is expected of them. So I will continue to commit my life to influencing others, to making a difference, to helping bulls, to making this world a better and healthier place. Thank you all.
At a press conference, which was taken from the NBA website, Gasol assured that he had done «everything possible» to enjoy and savor this moment. «Tonight surpasses any dream or expectation I’ve ever had. Obviously, the fact that Kobe is up there adds something meaningful, powerful, sad, happy, painful and joyful. It’s a lot of things,» he opened up.
«The excitement, the expectation, the honor received, it’s all so great that it’s been hard to take it all in. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s a celebration. It’s fantastic. It’s beautiful. It’s great that you can experience this in your life,» added the player from Sant Boi de Llobregat.
On what it felt like to see his jersey retired, he acknowledged that life, sometimes, is a blink of an eye with unexpected gifts. «I mean, life goes by pretty fast, doesn’t it? In the blink of an eye, you can be a kid playing basketball at your school with your friends, and all of a sudden, you’re realizing your dream,» he commented.
As for the 11 other players with retired jerseys on the Lakers, he said a «common dominator» might be having given «something valuable» to the team. «I wouldn’t dare compare myself to those great players that I have so much respect and honor for. Part of the reason I’m there is that I significantly helped the team win those championships,» he assessed, referring to the 2009 and 2010 championship rings.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
