16YO Marc Gasol Left Home Because of Brother Pau Only to Later Establish Iconic Grizzlies Legacy

Spanish sensation Marc Gasol’s jersey ’33’ was finally sent up to the rafters of the FedEx Forum today. The 39-year-old was celebrated for his contribution to the Memphis Grizzlies for 11 straight seasons from 2008 to 2019, which also brought the ‘Core 4’ back in town. Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley made a live appearance to celebrate their brother-in-arms, but most importantly we had another special guest and it was none other than Pau Gasol. The Los Angeles Lakers icon looked back into the younger days of his brother, to highlight one main reason that pushed Marc to leave home in Spain. 

Making it to the NBA is a dream for many, but Marc wanted to join the league to stay right next to his brother Pau. The elder Gasol shared ahead of the jersey retirement, “He came here as a 16-year-old and had to leave school and everything back home to kind of follow the big brother’s dream.” Pau wanted to show his gratitude to Marc for trusting him and making him a role model. 

He added, “I’m just proud of what he is able to do, how he approached everything, his character, his determination, the mark that he left, the legacy…throughout his career.” The 2x champion made sure he gave his brother his flowers at one of the best moments of his life. 

As Pau expected, Marc was blessed with an amazing team right during his entry into the NBA. The Core 4, came today to watch their former teammate’s jersey go up. They have played an important part in Marc’s legacy and they did not want to miss out on this special moment. 

Mike Conley “Wouldn’t have missed” Marc Gasol’s jersey retirement despite a nerve-wracking schedule

Conley was one of Gasol’s closest teammates at Memphis. The guard-center connection between the two helped the Grizzlies demolish a lot of teams back then. Conley made it to the FedEx Forum today, but it was not easy for him to come here. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard had just played a game against the Phoenix Suns yesterday. He has another game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crytpo.com Arena tomorrow. Before heading to LA, he came to Memphis for about half an hour, to see Marc’s jersey go up the rafter. 

Read more: Grizzlies Jersey Retirement: Pau Gasol Reveals Brother Marc’s Keys to Success in Memphis

Conley was asked about his live attendance at Memphis despite the tight schedule and he replied, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world”. Also, like the old days, the Core 4 got a starting line-up introduction, which put a smile on the faces of basketball buffs on social media. As mentioned above, Pau’s desire for Marc turned out to become an important reason for the latter to make a mark in the NBA, and the Gasol brothers will never take these moments for granted. 

Read more: Pau Gasol’s 1 Weakness Gave Brother Marc the Upper Hand During NBA Face-Offs, Admits Lakers Legend