Pau Gasol left the Los Angeles Lakers nearly a decade ago, but the Spaniard’s life and career are still celebrated by his former team and its fans.
L.A.’s love for Gasol will be on full display in March when the franchise will retire his No. 16 jersey — a move many considered to be long overdue considering the forward’s role in the Purple and Gold’s back-to-back championships between 2009-2010.
But recently, the Lakers family got to share in Gasol’s joy amid an even more significant life event. Messages of congratulations flooded the 42-year-old’s social media after he announced the birth of his son on Wednesday:
Our baby boy has arrived!! We are beyond happy to welcome our son to the world. Everything has gone really well and we are officially a family of 4! 💙 pic.twitter.com/t4XawghzjW
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) November 30, 2022
The Lakers responded to Gasol’s tweet by sending a purple heart emoji through the franchise’s official Twitter account.
Gasol and his wife, Catherine McDonnell, welcomed their first child in Sept. 2020 — just over a year after getting married — being blessed with the birth of daughter Elisabet.
Two years later, the Gasol family has gotten bigger again with Elisabet now having a little brother. The late Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, is Elisabet’s godmother, proving the relatives of the two former Lakers teammates remain very close.
The Gasols and Bryants will gather together at Crypto.com Arena on March 7, honoring Pau’s legacy during his jersey retirement ceremony. That day, the Lakers will play the Memphis Grizzlies, the six-time All-Star’s first NBA team.
Gasol ‘humbled’ & ‘excited’ for jersey retirement ceremony
Not long ago, Gasol discussed his feelings ahead of the moment the Lakers officially retire his No. 16 jersey.
“It’s overwhelming,” he said. “It’s hard for me to grasp and digest, it’s just overwhelming. It’s such a huge honor and recognition by the franchise towards me and what I was able to contribute to those championships, so I’m still processing to be honest.
“I’m not really prepared for it, but I’m truly humbled and excited. I look forward to that moment, and I’m trying to picture it little by little. It’s very emotional too, everyday that goes by it’s just a little closer and it’s going to get a little more emotional for me, just to see my number, my name next to all of those greats that you mentioned that I don’t take for granted, I don’t take lightly.”
Gasol added seeing his jersey next to Bryant’s Nos. 8 and 24 will make the day even more special.
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