The city of Los Angeles, focused on the most special night for the eternal 16 of the Lakers
Pau Gasol: “To the city of Los Angeles, to ‘the nation of the Lakers’: I love you deeply, I love you forever”
Wearing a purple and gold jersey with the number 16 and his name on each and every seat in the stadium, Los Angeles celebrated the legacy of Pau Gasol, whose number was retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hours before the tribute, which took place at halftime of the game between the Lakers and Grizzlies, the image of the Crypto.com Arena (the new name of the Staples Center) was impressive with thousands of Gasol shirts neatly arranged in the stands.
It was a very special day for the Los Angeles franchise, but not even Gasol could cope with a fully established tradition in a city with infernal traffic: arriving late to games, be they basketball, baseball or American football. Thus, when the match began, there was little more than half an inning, but as the match progressed, people continued to arrive until they almost practically filled the pavilion.
One of the cautious ones who arrived early enough was Al, who boasted in statements to Efe that he had been a Lakers fan “for 35 years” and that he took photos at the foot of the track with his Gasol shirt. “To have your shirt removed is the greatest honor”, This Los Angeles follower pointed out that the Spaniard simply deserves it for being “a double champion” with the Lakers. Apart from his merits as a player, Al also praised Gasol’s “personality”: “He is very humble.”
From much further away, specifically from Mallorca (Spain), David Segura, winner of a Gasol Foundation charity draw, arrived in the Californian city to be at this unique moment for Spanish basketball. Accompanied by his sister Verónica, David, with a smile from ear to ear, said that they had been “very intense days” and exciting for them. “Meeting Pau, being at the Staples Center, seeing how the shirts are removed, hallucinating that the whole stadium has a shirt… It shows what he is: an incredible player,” he said. “He deserves it for everything he generated with Kobe: the two rings and three consecutive NBA Finals”, he added. Along with Gasol’s shirts, many others were also seen in the stadium with the name of Kobe Bryant, his ‘brother’ and with whom he formed a lethal duo on the court and indissoluble outside of it.
Already during the game, the Lakers fans (with some figures among them such as the actor Adam Sandler or the band Red Hot Chili Peppers) received Gasol with a standing ovation when he entered the stadium between the first and second quarters, a very emotional moment before which the former player could not help crying. And already with his shirt uncovered at the top of the pavilion and totally moved, it was Gasol’s turn to return the love to this impressive “golden tide”.
“To the City of Los Angeles, to ‘Laker Nation’: I love you deeply, I love you forever. Thank you for making me feel so special,” she said.