“Holy SH*T”: Lakers Legend Fulfils Kobe Bryant’s Prophecy Leaving F1 Icon Paying Classy Tribute

Spaniards have left their mark on F1, no doubt. None more so than 42-year-old Fernando Alonso. But Spain has arguably conquered the whole world when it comes to other sports. Even the world of Basketball has had its fair share of Spaniards who have created a niche for themselves in the sport. One such icon of the Basketballing world is Pau Gasol. The LA Lakers man was instrumental in their 2009 and 2010 back-to-back championship wins. And yesterday, his exploits on the court earned him immortality.

Last night, during the Lakers v. Grizzlies game, the Lakers retired Gasol’s No. 16 jersey during the half-time show. Things were already emotional, however, according to Lakers Nation, “Things got even more teary-eyed when he took center court to address the fans with a heartfelt speech where he thanked Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, his former teammates, his family and everyone else affiliated with the franchise.”

Even Kobe Bryant had once predicted this happening. And in the aftermath, one Spanish sporting legend was congratulated by another. Fernando Alonso took to his Instagram account to share his reaction. He posted a picture of Gasol, and wrote, “Holy Sh*t @paugasol. Legend.” [translated via Google Translate]

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Alonso himself is on a roll. And as things stand, he’s about to set a lot of records in 2023.

The F1 records Fernando Alonso could break in 2023

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin have started 2023 in strong fashion. The Silverstone-based team is arguably the second-fastest team on the grid currently, as evidenced by Alonso’s podium at Bahrain last week.

According to RacingNews365.com, “At 41 years-old Alonso would become the first driver since Nigel Mansell to win a race at that age.” However, “he would have to hang on for another 12 years before he broke the record of ‘Oldest Grand Prix Winner’ set by Luigi Fagioli in 1951.”

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Can Fernando Alonso do the unthinkable and beat Max Verstappen for his 3rd F1 title?