SUMMARY
- Marc Gasol spent most of his career donning the jersey of the Memphis Grizzlies and recently the franchise retired his 33-numbered jersey.
- He is only the second player in the franchise history to have his jersey retired.
Marc Gasol is among the most decorated players in the history of the NBA. He officially announced his retirement from the league in January 2024 after spending more than a decade. Gasol spent most of his career donning the jersey of the Memphis Grizzlies and recently the franchise retired his 33-numbered jersey.
After a 116-96 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Memphis-based team retired Gasol’s jersey at FedExForum in a postgame ceremony. He becomes the second player in the franchise’s history to have his jersey number retired. The first player was Zach Randolph whose jersey number 50 was retired on December 11, 2021. Gasol’s fans strongly believe that he is deserving of this honor.
The Grizzlies have officially retired Marc Gasol’s jersey 🔥
(via @DrewHill_DM) pic.twitter.com/0svI9bpcre
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 7, 2024
Furthermore, Gasol who was initially drafted in 2007, didn’t make his debut until 2008 as his rights were traded to the Grizzlies during the next season. Before declaring for the NBA, he played for FC Barcelona from 2003-06 and Akasvayu Girona from 2006-08 and became a household name. During this, he honed the exceptional skills that he was renowned for in the league.
Marc Gasol averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 891 games
Marc Gasol spent more than a decade of his life playing in the NBA. At 7-1 and 265 pounds, with incredible skill sets, he was unbeatable most of the time. Throughout his career, he made 891 appearances and averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. The former basketball player posted his most points in a game against the Raptors on January 25, 2017, with 42 points.
Furthermore, he built an impressive resume with prestigious awards and titles like three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA honoree, and the 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year, etc. Gasol is widely renowned for his stint with the Grizzlies. He played 769 games for the franchise and averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Marc Gasol played for 3 NBA teams throughout his career
Marc Gasol was drafted into the league by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007 who traded his rights to the Grizzlies in the following season. He was a part of the Memphis-based franchise from 2008-19 and changed the landscape of the team with his promising performances. Gasol found himself being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and spent two seasons with the Canadian franchise.
Marc Gasol heads back to spain after 14 seasons in the NBA
14 PPG
7.4 RPG
3.4 APG
2012-13 DPOY
2019 Champion with the RaptorsWhat an amazing career this man has had 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PtwjyVfbhb
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) September 10, 2021
During his stint with the Raptors, Gasol helped them win the 2019 NBA Finals. After this, he had a full-circle moment as he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020-21 season which happened to be his last in the NBA. In addition to this, represented Spain in the 2008, 2012, and 2020 Olympics and is currently the president of Bàsquet Girona of the Liga ACB.