Kobe, Shaq, Jabbar, Magic and the legends with whom Pau Gasol shares the sky at Staples

In the sky of Staples a Spaniard now forever.

On the roof of one of the temples of basketball,

's 16 flutters as of today, when at halftime in the duel between the Lakers and the Grizzlies -his two great teams in the NBA, although he also wore the jerseys of the Bulls, Spurs and Bucks - was honored: no one will ever be able to wear that purple and gold number anymore.

His entry into a unique Olympus, because next to him, up there, only legends fit.

Exactly, in the now renamed Crypto.com Arena, Pau will share celebrity with 11 myths from the Los Angeles franchise (no other non-Americans) the most successful in the NBA along with the Celtics (17 rings).

In the pantheon also an announcer,

, more than four decades being the voice of the Lakers.

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Pau Gasol: "Kobe's role in my life and in my career has been decisive"

• Writing: PABLO SCARPELLINI Los Angeles

Pau Gasol: "Kobe's role in my life and in my career has been decisive"

KOBE BRYANT (8/24)

You have to start with Kobe, who was the emotional epicenter of the ceremony that elevated Pau.

The guy who anointed him, the one who called him "brother": the greatness of both was reciprocated when they finally coincided.

Died in a helicopter accident more than three years ago, the forward is the only one who enjoys the privilege of having two retired numbers, the two he wore during his 20 seasons with the Lakers.

In them, he won five rings, two with Gasol.

CHAMBERLAIN (13), BAYLOR (22), WEST (44)

The giant's 13 was the first jersey to hang at Staples along with those of

, all in a ceremony held in November 1983. The tradition in American sports dates back to 1933 and in the NBA the first was

, in 1964 for the National Syracuse.

The prolific and excessive

-also off the track- went to Los Angeles as a veteran and achieved, in 1972, the first franchise ring many years after he moved from Minneapolis.

He wasn't scoring as much anymore (in 1962 he averaged 50.4 points), but he still owned the boards.

It was the end of a period of painful frustration and losses against the Celtics.

The center, who was already 36 years old, was MVP of the Finals against the Knicks.

All that redemption eluded Elgin Baylor, who had retired midway through that season (the first game without him began the still-current 33-game winning streak) due to injury and with the honor of having lost seven World Cup finals. the NBA (in one of them, that of 1962, his legendary game of 61 points against the Celtics occurred).

Only one less than the logo.

Although Jerry West, also a veteran (he is the top scorer in Lakers history with 25,192 points), took revenge in that 1972 that was the beginning of so many things for the Lakers: no one suffered the dominance of the Celtics like him, until the about to stop wearing green clothes because they only brought him frustration.

West was, in that embarrassing loss in the 1969 finals in which the balloons hung from Staples,

GAIL GOODRICH (25)

's Lakers

and the next to see his shirt in the sky of the then Inglewood Forum.

Top scorer of the 72 season, in his first stage in Los Angeles he had been a substitute for West to return as essential.

He still holds the franchise record for most career free throws made (40).

KAREM ABDUL JABBAR (33)

The lord of all records, the Sky Hook wizard, retired at the age of 42 as the top scorer, blocker, defensive rebounder and the one who played the most games and minutes in NBA history.

A few weeks ago,

pulverized his points record.

No one has won more MVPs (6) or played more All Stars (19).

Like

he had already won a ring with the Bucks, but added five more with the Lakers, an essential part of 80's Showtime. His mythical 33 was hung from the roof of Staples in 1989, shortly after playing his 1098 game with the Angelenos .

MAGIC JOHNSON (32)

Preceded by an incredible aura after passing through Michigan State and his early duels with

, a rivalry that would change the NBA forever, Magic landed in the Lakers living up to his nickname: at the age of 20 he achieved the first of his five rings relieving the team's star, Abdul Jabbar, injured, in the final.

He was the Showtime, who led the revenge against the Celtics and his legend increased when AIDS precipitated his withdrawal from the courts.

His 32nd passed into eternity in February 1992 -at halftime of a game against the Celtics, nothing is by chance-, in a bittersweet ceremony, since it was not wanted.

It happened months before the Barcelona Games and that goodbye with the Dream Team.

Although with her on top, he still played 36 games in his short-lived return in 1996.

Magic, in a recent image.MICHAEL OWENSGetty Images via AFP

JAMES WORTHY (42)

Another essential from the 80s, who can forget the elegance and coast to coast of that forward with glasses and knee pad?

The 42 of the MVP of the 1988 Finals -that tremendous triple double in the seventh game: 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists- was retired a year after his goodbye, in 1995. In 12 seasons, all with the Lakers, Worthy he won three rings and was a seven-time All Star.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL (34)

had to channel

- the Three Peat (champions in 2000, 2001 and 2002).

He had arrived in Los Angeles at the age of 24, after four seasons with the Magic, as one of the great acquisitions in free agency history.

Later, he would win one more ring with the Heat and would regret not having redirected his relationship with Bryant: "I should have called Kobe, I will never see him again."

JAMAAL WILKES (52)

Another star of the early '80s, his jersey was retired in 1992. By the time he arrived in Los Angeles, he had already won a ring with the Warriors.

He would later add three more in almost a decade of purple and gold.

He was a three-time All-Star and averaged 18.4 points in his eight seasons at Staples.

GEORGE MIKAN (99)

The 99 of the legendary center (shortsighted, with a Croatian father and a Lithuanian mother, his 208 centimeters were a rarity at the time) is the only shirt that hangs at Staples who never played a game in Los Angeles: his seven Lakers seasons were spent in Minneapolis.

Perhaps the first great star of the NBA -legendary is that poster that announced him in Madison Square Garden: "Tonight, George Mikan versus Knicks"-, he won five rings in six years in the late 40s and early 50s. his seven seasons, he averaged 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds in a time when statistics were not a priority.

His shirt was not retired until a few months ago.

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