The Memphis Grizzlies announced this Thursday that on April 6 they will hold a ceremony to retire the jersey that Marc Gasol wore, with number 33, during the 11 seasons he was with the team.
The measure, which is one of the highest honors granted in the NBA - the North American professional basketball league - to a player, comes after Gasol announced his retirement as a player on Wednesday.
Only one other player, Zach Randolph, had previously been honored by the Grizzlies with his jersey retired. The ceremony to retire Gasol's jersey will take place after the game that the Grizzlies and the Philadelphia 76ers will play that day at the FedExForum in Memphis.
The Grizzlies were the first NBA team in which Gasol played in 2008 after being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2007 draft. The Memphis team recalled this Thursday that his presence helped the Grizzlies to reach the NBA playoffs seven consecutive times.
Gasol, who in Spain played for Barcelona (2003-2006) and Girona (2006-2008), played for the Grizzlies from 2008 to 2019, Toronto Raptors (2019-2020) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020-2021).
Gasol was part of the historic Raptors team, which also included player Serge Ibaka and Spanish coach Sergio Scariolo as part of the technical team, which won the NBA championship in 2019. Following the announcement of his retirement, the Raptors and his fans also expressed their affection for Gasol.
In a statement, Raptors president Masai Ujiri declared that the Spanish player "has a special place in the hearts and memories of Toronto and Canada."
"He is a champion on the court, where his incredible vision and masterful defense were key parts of our victory in 2019. He is a champion in life as well, with important contributions to communities around the world through the Gasol Foundation," he said. Ujiri.
"Marc, the Raptors honor your 'grit and grind' (determination and sacrifice) and we send your family our thanks and our best wishes for a happy retirement," added the Raptors president.
