Hailing from the basketball-crazy nation of Spain, there aren’t many who have left their mark on the NBA world quite like Marc Gasol. The Barcelona-born center made waves with the Grizzlies following his draft move from the Lakers, which sent his brother Pau to the Los Angeles franchise.
The 39-year-old recently announced his retirement from basketball. However, with numerous personal accolades over his 11-year career in Grizzly colors, Marc shone brightly, which the Memphis faithful are sure to remember.
How many NBA rings does Marc Gasol have?
Among all the accolades in the NBA and on the international stage, one matters the most to any professional: the NBA Championship. Gasol can be counted among the fortunate and talented ones to get a ring around his finger. After an 11-year stint with the Grizzlies, Gasol got traded to the Raptors, where he finally won his one and only NBA championship in 2019.
Slotting nicely into a starting role, the Spaniard elevated the others around him, none more than Kawhi Leonard. Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry provided the edge as the Raptors went to the NBA Finals to set multiple dates with Stephen Curry and Co. The Raptors wrapped up the show with a 4-2 series win, with Gasol playing all six with 12 points per game (PPG).
Grizzlies planning on retiring his number
The NBA Hall of Famer Pau Gasol‘s No. 16 jersey was retired by the Lakers last year in honor of their legend’s retirement. It seems like his brother Marc will be following in his brother’s footsteps after his retirement announcement.
The 6’11” Centre announced his retirement on Wednesday. Rumors suggest that the Grizzlies will pay tribute to their former player in a similar fashion and retire his jersey No. 33. Despite not earning a ring for the Grizzlies, Marc left his mark on the franchise in his 11-year spell. After his first All-Star selection in 2012, the Centre was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.
Despite earning the accolade, Gasol only made it onto the NBA All-Defensive second team due to the voting system. Following a career-low 59 appearances in an injury-riddled 2014 season, he roared back to his best in 2015 and earned his second NBA All-Star selection. With high-scoring seasons in the next two seasons, he reached the 10,000 NBA points milestone in 2018.
Gasol left the Grizzlies in 2019 with the record for most games played in the franchise’s history and as the all-time rebound leader. Nonetheless, it looks like his legacy will be immortalized by the Grizzlies.
