Marc Gasol had memorable nights in Memphis for more than a decade wearing a Grizzlies jersey. His scrapbook is extensive. But this Saturday, early Sunday morning in Barcelona, he occupied a special place. The Grizzlies retired the number 33 jersey and placed it at the top of the pavilion.
The middle of the Gasols was treated like a “legend”, that's how the 'speaker' referred to him. There were people with masks with Marc's face. Artists who animated the break wearing t-shirts with the number 33. It was special, with his entire family there and the meeting of the so-called 'Core 4' that he formed with Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley in the best years of their lives, when they elevated the Grizzlies to the top.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to see you play at such a high level,” said Pete Branca, the team's speaker. “It was a pleasure and a privilege to enjoy your class and your charm, and the appreciation you feel for this city,” he reiterated before handing over the microphone so that the honoree could address the audience, which was very large despite the fact that the party was at the end of the locals' game against the Philadelphia 76ers, who also won.
Next to his wife, Cristina Blesa, and his two children (Julia and Luca), Marc started asking for forgiveness from his colleagues for having sometimes been so stubborn. “I cared a lot about this city and I wanted to win,” he apologized.
He then explained that this week he and his entire family have enjoyed Memphis, a very important part of their lives, and old friends. “We have found a lot of love and respect in the followers, we will always be with you,” he promised amidst a loud applause. And he had words for his other three historic teammates in the Grizzlies, he thanked them because, he assured, he would never have won the ring that, without them, he won with the Toronto Raptors.
Then the expected moment occurred, the elevation of 33 to the Olympus of the Grizzlies, to the glory of Memphis and to the heart of the city.
The appreciation was clearly expressed. Marc got the 'Core 4' to meet again, something that had not happened since 2017. There was not even a reunion when at the end of 2021 they retired Randolph's 50, until tonight the only number with this honor in this franchise. He is no longer alone.
Coincidents of fate, the locals faced those from Philadelphia, coached by Nick Nurse, who was the Raptors coach when Marc was there, and they won the ring in 2019. “He was an exceptional player, but let me say that he was an even better person.” “Nurse said before the tribute game.
The night had several attractions. Before anyone else, Pau, the older brother, spoke, who is the one who paved the way for the Gasols in the city of Elvis and also where Martin Luther King was assassinated.
Pau landed here in 2001 and came with the whole family. Marc studied in this city, at the Lausanne Institute, where they also retired his number 33, until he decided to return to Barcelona and Girona, a step prior to his return to Memphis in 2008, where he would play eleven seasons, until he was transferred to the squad. from Toronto.
“As a brother, it means a lot to see my brother receive this honor tonight for the legacy he left in Memphis,” Pau remarked.
"I have a feeling of enormous pride, of happiness, for Marc, for the recognition that this represents, what he and his teammates achieved in this franchise, in this city, in the league," said Pau. “I am very proud of him. “Memphis is proud of you Marc, this is amazing,” he added.
He spoke of his brother's ethical determination, of his competitive strength, “he learned quickly and became one of the best in the world, he continued. He confessed that before he was 'drafted' (chosen), he already insisted to the team leaders that they would try to sign him. “From the first day he made a difference," he said. For Pau he was one of the worst rivals, he scored few points when he faced him because Marc knew his movements well.
"Marc has achieved extraordinary things here throughout his career," Pau reiterated about the eleven seasons that Marc was part of this team.
"I lived a special moment for this franchise and with some of my teammates we laid the foundation of this team in this city," Pau recalled. The franchise settled in this Tennessee city in 1995, coming from Vancouver (Canada). “We are proud of what we have done,” said the older brother, in a previous press conference, referring to the Gasol heritage in Memphis.
But mid-season, in 2008, he chose to go to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he wrote his great story, won two rings, forged an unforgettable friendship with the late Kobe Bryant and had the honor of having his number 16 retired in March 2023.
Marc took the baton in Memphis and expanded on it. Not only did he surpass Pau's successes in this squad, but he became a symbol of the team and an identifying factor for this city. His work on the track was accompanied by intense social and humanitarian activity with children that he has influenced. "Marc's DNA connected very well with the identity of this city. Very hard-working, he gave everything for the team. Every game he played had an impact on this working-class city," Pau said at the press conference.
“Your family is very important to your success,” Marc stressed at the beginning of the tribute act, sitting among his other three friends and with his parents behind him. “Our parents gave up many things in their social lives so that we could be happy. When you become a father you understand that role in life. That is why I will always be grateful to them, for the values that they instilled in us and that we have,” he stated.
When comparing the removal of Pau's shirt and his own, Marc was diplomatic. “It is a celebration at the same time in the same family. At the end of the journey, it's great that everyone has their own celebration, so I can't compare. For me, this is the challenge you face as a human being, what impact we will have,” he indicated.
In his eleventh season with the Grizzlies, Marc led the 'grit and grind', a "grit and grind" that has become the squad's motto since then, a very physical basketball with which the Memphis team reached the playoffs. seven consecutive seasons and in which the Catalan was the leader. The best was 2012-2013. They then played in the Western Conference final after achieving a 56-26 record in the regular season and conceding only 89.3 points per game on average.
That year Marc Gasol won the individual award for best defender of the year in the NBA, the first European to achieve this distinction. Two years later (2014-2015) he was selected in the best quintet in the NBA, the only player in the history of the Grizzlies to have achieved this.
That season had another great distinction. In the NBA All-Star game, played in February 2015 at Madison Square Garden, Marc made the initial jump for the Western Conference. His rival was a well-known person, his brother Pau, who jumped to the east because he was part of the Chicago Bulls. That was the only time the two brothers were starters in this event. “That was one of the high points of our lives,” Pau confessed.
The Catalan center, and today president of Girona, is the player with the most minutes played in the history of the Memphis franchise (25,917), games played as a starter (762), field goals scored (4,341), free throws made (2,701 ), rebounds (5,952) and blocks (1,135). He also ranks second with the most points (11,684), assists (2,639) and double-doubles (194).
In addition to the All-Star game played in the Big Apple, Marc was selected on two other occasions (2012 and 2017) for that NBA party.
The Memphis franchise announced that it was retiring the jersey with the number 33 on February 1, the day after Marc announced that he was leaving professional basketball.
Memphis, on the banks of the Mississippi, competes with Nashville as musical capitals. If the capital is more country, the city forever more linked to the Gasols sounds more like the blues. So the Grizzilies released a vinyl in honor of their admired center that he distributed this Saturday night among those attending the tribute. There was a lot at the tribute.
The franchise already released a documentary a few days ago (available on YouTube) with an eloquent title, 'Marc Gasol: Memphis Made', made in Memphis. He is more than a player, he is a symbol of the city.
