This column was originally published in May of 2020, but we are republishing it in the wake of the news that Pau Gasol is retiring today, and that the Lakers plan to retire his jersey. Original story follows.
The barrier to entry for getting a jersey retired by the Los Angeles Lakers is incredibly high.
Only ten players have had their jersey number retired in franchise history (11 numbers total, due to Kobe Bryant’s two). All ten of them are Hall of Famers. The majority of them won multiple titles with the Lakers, and they weren’t just along for the ride — every player was a multiple-time All-Star, and the majority made multiple all-NBA teams.
There seems to be a general consensus among Lakers fans that Pau Gasol will be the next Laker to have his jersey retired by the franchise. Gasol was a beloved member of a two-time title-winning team. He was the second-best player on both of those teams, and he was one of the best big men in the league while with the Lakers. He will undoubtedly be a Hall of Famer, so he seems to meet all the criteria for earning a spot in the rafters.
But again, there is a high standard for being honored by this franchise, and it’s worth considering how Gasol stacks up in comparison to the players whose jerseys are already hanging. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the existing retired numbers. Bryant has been split into two players for ease of comparison.
| Player | Seasons | All-Stars | All-NBA | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Seasons | All-Stars | All-NBA | Championships |
| Kobe Bryant (8) | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| Wilt Chamberlain (13) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Elgin Baylor (22) | 13 | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Kobe Bryant (24) | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 |
| Gail Goodrich (25) | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Magic Johnson (32) | 13 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) | 14 | 13 | 10 | 5 |
| Shaquille O'Neal (34) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 3 |
| James Worthy (42) | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| Jerry West (44) | 14 | 14 | 12 | 1 |
| Jamaal Wilkes (52) | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
The “average” retired Laker spent about 10.
5 seasons with the team, was an All-Star eight times, made six all-NBA teams, and won 2.5 titles as a Laker.
Gasol spent 6.5 years with the Lakers, earned three All-Star nods and made three all-NBA teams, and won two titles in the purple and gold. I’d argue that Gasol deserved at least one more All-Star berth while with the Lakers (in 2012), but even then, Gasol’s resume pales in comparison to the almost ridiculous standard set by the luminaries who have played for the team.
But let’s be realistic: no one is trying to put Gasol in the same sentence as Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, or even Shaquille O’Neal. Even within the retired jersey pantheon, however, there are levels, and Gasol clearly belongs in a lower tier than the one-name greats in Lakers history. Gasol is more in the range of Gail Goodrich, James Worthy, Wilt Chamberlain and Jamaal Wilkes.
Gasol averaged 17.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a Laker, a consistent double-double presence whose numbers are slightly muted by his mishandling during Mike D’Antoni’s tenure.
His scoring is right in line with those four aforementioned Lakers (Goodrich, Worthy, Chamberlain and Wilkes), his assist numbers are better than even the smaller players, and his rebounding is only eclipsed by Chamberlain.
The important characteristic each of those players share is that none of them were the best player on a championship team. Worthy does have one Finals MVP, and Gasol was probably a better candidate for that honor in 2009 than most people remember, but they were all second bananas at best. That’s noteworthy, because no one would ever argue that Gasol’s value exceeded that of Bryant during his tenure. Fortunately, the Lakers have no problem honoring multiple players on the same title teams. This team is used to properly appreciating stacked rosters.
The 1960s Lakers (who never actually won a title) are represented by West and Elgin Baylor. The 1972 team featured West, Chamberlain and Goodrich. The Showtime Lakers have four players immortalized including Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Worthy and Wilkes, while the 2000s three-peat is represented by Bryant and O’Neal.
It stands to reason that the 2009-10 back-to-back champs would deserve a second number in the rafters, and that would have to be Gasol.
In a sense, the reason that No. 24 is retired is because of Gasol. Without him, Bryant is a solo act on the Lakers, collecting meaningless scoring titles and first-round playoff exits (even if he rescinds his trade demand, which may not have happened had Gasol not come aboard). Gasol came to Los Angeles and immediately elevated the Lakers into a championship-worthy team. Numerous tales have been told of his instant chemistry with Bryant. As a result, Gasol earns his place in a long and storied tradition of big men being traded to the Lakers and bringing them to a new level, like Wilt and Kareem before him.
The Lakers’ championship runs are littered with outstanding Gasol moments. His boxout on Mehmet Okur against the Jazz in 2008, his crucial offensive rebounds in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals, and his putback against OKC to win the 2010 first round series.
There’s the entirety of the 2009 Finals, when Gasol was the best big in a series that had Dwight Howard, or how he took the challenge of containing Tim Duncan in the 2008 Western Conference Finals.
The story of the Lakers franchise is incomplete without Pau Gasol. The team’s most recent string of success came directly because of Gasol’s ability to accept a supporting role and turn a good team into a great one. That is the only kind of team the Lakers historically care about. Failing to honor Gasol would be failing to recognize what made those 2008-10 Lakers work. Whether or not Gasol finishes his career in Los Angeles with a victory lap, he has to have his jersey retired. He is an irreplaceable part of this franchise’s lore, and deserves to see his name in the rafters with all the other stars who made this team so special.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.
0 of 5
Unlike the Boston Celtics, who have retired so many jerseys (24) over the years that new players are forced to use fractions on their uniforms, the Los Angeles Lakers designate that honor sparingly.
To have your jersey retired by the Lakers requires quite the distinguished career. Just 14 players, one coach and one broadcaster have seen their name on a jersey hoisted to the top of Staples Center.
That number is even smaller when you separate the Lakers of Minneapolis from the team in Los Angeles. To date, just seven L.
A. players have had their jerseys retired with two more (Shaquille O'Neal and Jamaal Wilkes) set to be honored during the 2012-13 season.
Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Elgin Baylor, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and James Worthy—each one of them in the Hall of Fame—had their jerseys rightfully retired. Legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Chick Hearn also had a jersey retired.
It is obviously a very high honor to have your Lakers jersey retired. For a franchise that sets extremely high standards and has captured 16 world championships, it may be more difficult for an outstanding former player to get that recognition he really deserves.
We think there are at least five who ought to have their jerseys retired. Five players who were special, who made a difference on and off the court; five tremendous athletes who have not been recognized, but should be.
1 of 5
Kurt Rambis—when fans utter his name in Los Angeles, a smile usually accompanies the conversation.
Many remember a play in the 1984 Finals when Boston's Kevin McHale clotheslined a streaking Rambis and prevented him from scoring an easy layup. It turned the tide for Boston who won that series, but it also illustrated the toughness of Kurt Rambis, who was quick to jump up and go after the Celtics forward who landed the cheap shot.
Those who know the Lakers well know that the real Superman (sorry, Dwight), a.k.a. Clark Kent, was the player who would literally run through a brick wall if it helped his team win. Rambis was known for his incredible work ethic and passion for defense and loose balls.
As a 10-year player with the team and as assistant coach under Phil Jackson, Rambis accumulated seven World Championship rings. He played an integral role as an off-the-bench, high energy forward on teams that won titles in 1982, '85, '87, and '88. While assistant coach, Rambis helped guide the Lakers to titles in 2001, '02, and '09.
You won't see a lot of scoring from Kurt Rambis over the course of his career.
He averaged 5.2 points, both in the regular season and playoffs. Yet he did average just 60 percent shooting during his peak years with the team and was a tenacious defender and rebounder. Rambis did the dirty work and was the backbone that allowed the Lakers' Showtime teams to flourish.
Many thought Rambis deserved a shot at the head coaching job of the Lakers when Phil Jackson retired and he was considered. That day may still come.
Kurt Rambis deserves to have his No. 31 purple and gold Lakers jersey retired. He's earned his stripes.
2 of 5
A.C. Green played in 1,192 consecutive games over his 16-year career, the most in NBA history. The first eight and 1/15th years were spent with the Lakers.
The former first round draft pick (Oregon State) started all 164 games for the Lakers in 1988 and '89 and was a key ingredient to world championships those years, as he averaged 13.
3 and 12.9 points respectively.
Green's nickname was Iron Man and the title was deserved. He was as reliable to be in the Lakers lineup from 1985-93 as any player in their illustrious history. He consistently pulled down eight-nine rebounds per game, leading L.A. in rebounds six of the eight years he spent with the team.
Green's teammates (James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Cooper) comprised Showtime in Los Angeles. Because he wasn't flashy, Green often gets overlooked for his contributions, but No. 45 was a special player. He also helped the Lakers win another title during the 1999-2000 season with leadership off the bench.
Green's motto for longevity in the NBA was simple: "If I can breathe, I can play." In an interview with Mark Media of the L.A. Times, Green elaborated on what he needed to do to be out there on the court contributing every night:
"You have to have some help. You have to have good trainers, you have to eat right and keep your mind on the right things and find a balance on how to rest.
It's a combination of things. You have to have help from the man above. It's nothing easy or magical about it because that's a long time. At the same time, it's fun."
3 of 5
When asked about Derek Fisher's toughness and durability, former Lakers forward A.C. Green had this to say: "He's the iron man."
"He's the ultimate professional," Green said of Fisher. "He goes out there and does what he needs to do every single night. More importantly, he does it in practice and his pre-game rituals. He just knows how to prepare himself. That's really a lesson in life where you have to find a game plan."
No. 2 always had his own game plan, from the day he was drafted by the Lakers out of little-known Little Rock, Arkansas in 1996, the same year that Kobe Bryant came to L.A. The two became fast friends who loved to compete against each other in practice and greatly admired their respective work ethics.
Fisher has always had his detractors, especially in recent seasons as he slowed down and had trouble guarding slick, fast point guards. But those detractors need to look at the body of work D-Fish had with L.A. over the course of 13 seasons and realize that Bryant most likely would not have five championship rings without the inspirational former captain of the Lakers.
Every great team needs a leader, someone who acts as coach on the court and has the respect of his teammates. Whether it was during the early years, winning three consecutive titles with Shaq and Kobe or later winning two more with Kobe, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, Fisher always remained the stabilizing force among bigger stars with much bigger egos.
During those runs, it was Fisher who consistently came up with big plays, like the miraculous, 360-degree turn and shoot winner against the Spurs with .04 seconds on the clock in the 2004 playoffs. He'll be remembered for hustle plays, like the driving layup against the Celtics at Boston in the 2010 playoffs, where he was mauled but still made the key bucket and foul shot.
"A hustle play in a lot of ways symbolized who I was coming into this league, who I've tried to be my 16 years in and probably what I'll be remembered as going out," Fisher told the L.A. Times after coming up with the key play in a regular season win over Denver in 2011.
"I was a guy who was willing to do whatever it takes for his team to win. It doesn't look great all the time. I won't be as big of a name. But I'll always find a way to help my team in more times than not."
Derek Fisher's career stats do not jump off the page—8.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 40 percent from the field. Yet, D-Fish shot 37 percent from three point range (40 percent during 229 playoff games) and was the quintessential leader throughout a 16-year career.
Derek Fisher is a five-time champion and a winner on and off the court. His jersey should be retired.
4 of 5
Pat Riley was not a great basketball player, though he was a first round selection of the San Diego Rockets in 1967.
But he was one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time and, as head coach of the Lakers from 1981-90, led them to four world championships.
As good a coach as Phil Jackson was for the Lakers (he won five titles in Los Angeles), there would be many who would argue that Riley is the greatest in team history.
Riley was a broadcaster doing Lakers games when, during the 1979-80 season, head coach Jack McKinney had to step down after a near-fatal bicycling accident. Assistant Paul Westhead took over the head job and asked Riley to be his assistant.
Just six games into the 1981 campaign, Magic Johnson said he wished to be traded because he hated playing for Westhead. At a hastily called news conference, team owner Jerry Buss attempted to designate Jerry West as the new head coach, but West begged off. When Buss then tried to make West "offensive captain" and name West and Riley co-coaches, West said he would only support Riley as the head guy. What a way to start your coaching career.
Riley guided some of the greatest teams in Lakers history: Jabbar, Johnson, Worthy, Cooper, Green, Byron Scott, Kurt Rambis and Mychal Thompson all played under "Riles." With their fast-paced Showtime offense and Riley's penchant for expensive Italian-made suits, the Lakers became the NBA's version of a Hollywood production. And they backed it all up with incredible wins and multiple championships.
And though Riley left the Lakers amid some negative rumors about player mismanagement and anger issues, most fans remember him for leading perhaps the most glorious era in team history.
For that, Pat Riley deserves to have a jersey retired atop Staples alongside the other greats.
5 of 5
On just about any other team, Elden Campbell's No. 41 might be hanging from the rafters. It just so happened he played during a time when the Lakers were woeful and lacked much in the way of team talent.
A native of Los Angeles, the 6'11" Campbell not only became the team's second all-time leader in blocked shots (1,006), he also led the Lakers in scoring for the 1990s.
Campbell improved his scoring average every year for seven consecutive seasons with L.A., becoming only the seventh player in league history to accomplish the feat (Derek Harper, Shawn Kemp, Happy Hairston, Alex English, Avery Johnson and Kevin McHale were the others...pretty good company).
From 1993-97, Campbell averaged 12.3, 12.5, 13.9, and 14.9 points per game for the Lakers. His best year may have been 1995-96 when he averaged almost three blocked shots per game and shot over 50 percent from the field.
Campbell did get to appear in 59 playoff games for L.A., including the 1991 NBA Finals where the Lakers lost in five games to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. It marked the end of Magic Johnson's Finals appearances and the Lakers would not get back to the Finals until 2000.
Campbell was all about bad timing.
He got to play with O'Neal for a few seasons in the late '90s and together the big men were pretty powerful, going 8-2 against the San Antonio Spurs when both were in the lineup. Campbell just never had the opportunity to play with the likes of Kobe, Shaq, Magic and Worthy when all were in their prime.
Had that been the case, Elden Campbell might have a retired jersey in Staples Center. But the reality is that he probably never will.
The latest in the sports world, emailed daily.
Editor's Note: You're reading the 3.05 user blog, Lou Dort's game is broken down, the new All-Star Game format is explored, Kobe is remembered on Team USA. Support the author with pluses - it's always nice.
The first superteam was slammed.
One of these days, the Lakers will become champions for the first time in ten years.
During this long period, the organization has experienced a lot, made a decent amount of mistakes, throwing money at everyone and not being afraid to experiment with coaches.
This article will talk about what was the previous championship team that defeated Boston in the final, and what the members of that team are doing now.
A good-natured big man with the appearance of a fairy-tale character went through a very unusual path before getting into the best basketball league in the world.
Mbenga spent his entire childhood in the Congo, he comes from a family of an official. The unfolding struggle for power promised him a serious prison term, and 9he did serve months. However, Mbenga managed to escape and rush to Belgium on the very first plane - there, at the age of 19, he fell into the clutches of basketball.
At the age of 20, he first appeared on the floor of the Belgian Second League, at 22 he announced himself in the championship of Belarus, at 24 Mbengu noticed Dallas and offered a contract.
In 2007, after a series of 10-day agreements, the Lakers picked up the center, and away we go. Although DJ did not often appear on the floor, he was very fond of the fans for his rare defensive performances, general homelessness and championship DNA - the Belgian Congolese took two titles as a passenger and even acquired the trump nickname "Congo Cash", which Kobe himself came up with.
The situation is so funny that the next comment will not lose relevance even in the current realities.
With the leader of the Lakers, by the way, DJ got along well - both turned out to be polyglots, and found many common topics for conversation.
Around the same time, Mbenga opened a fund to help those in need in the Congo, which he still does to this day. The organization funds children's education, builds clean water wells, and protects victims of sexual abuse.
In April, Mbenga suffered a real tragedy - his older sister died of the coronavirus. He was in the Congo, she was in Belgium, and due to the general quarantine it turned out to be impossible to come to her - the funeral had to be watched online.
Either a special relationship with Kobe, gradual progress, or mystical powers kept Luke Walton at the Lakers. He has been playing for the Lakers since 2003, and at the time of two championships, only Bryant himself stayed with the Lakers longer than him. Luke scored more than 7 points in a season only once - during the legendary Parker-Meem period. And they preferred to turn a blind eye to it.
With the appearance of a strong third in the team - first Ariza, then Artest - Luke went to heat the bench, and received rings as a barter. Then there was an exchange to the Caves, followed by the end of a career.
Luke tried himself as a commentator, later became interested in coaching. He had a hand in a historic 73-9 season with the Golden State, but fell through on the Lakers' bridge and is on track for the same with Sacramento.
Powell came to the Lakers as a replacement for Ronnie Turiaf, who went to Golden State for a check - same position, same game number, same pigtails.
Josh immediately liked Kobe for his hard work and strong character. “He is an incredible professional. He doesn’t whine or complain, he just goes out and does his job,” Bryant said.
Powell closed the position of the third big, playing only 11 minutes per game, and he did not work out outside the Lakers in the NBA: one season in Atlanta, one game for Houston and a preseason in Milwaukee - that's all , for which it was enough. This was followed by a tour of the teams in China, Puerto Rico and short business trips to Greece and Australia. Now Josh is playing BIG3.
In 2006, Morrison was drafted third overall by the Charlottes, and he made history by being the last weird white dude to cheat in four years of college and so highly drafted. Of course, similar cases happened later: no one was immune from Vivek Ranadive and his keen eyes. The owner of Sacramento picked Freddet and Stauskas in the early rounds, but even these decisions did not look as disastrous as Adam Morrison.
They did have some glimpses from time to time, and old Jimmer even gave us a portion of gorgeous highlights from China.
Morrison got stuck between positions, broke his crosses before the second season, was not too picky about himself and his own hygiene, than amazed teammates and finally drove himself into depression. He went to the Lakers as an alternative to Radmanovic on a shorter contract, and quickly settled into the far end of the bench.
Kobe tried in every possible way to bring the poor man to his senses , but in vain: the championship year turned out to be the last in Adam's American career. For two more years, he tried his luck in Europe, showing up in the Turkish Besiktas and the Serbian Red Star, and finally blew off his basketball in 2012, when he was 28 years old.
Morrison now lives in Spokane, has two daughters and a son, and works as an assistant coach on the high school basketball team. There were rumors that he went crazy - he lives in the outback and keeps a large warehouse of weapons, they say, in case of an apocalypse.
However, Adam quickly stepped out of the shadows and reassured him: there really is a weapon - not a warehouse, but a collection. It is necessary for a happy life in the suburbs.
Brown joined the Lakers from Charlotte in the same trade package as Morrison. Shannon got the title of the main asset of the deal in the first scoring attack, powerfully pushing off the ground, soaring up and docking the ball to the ring. The nuclear point guard was not so much useful on the court as he charged everyone around with his energy and stamped out moments for daily selections.
After the Lakers, though, he wasn't as bright. His best season was during the lockout, and he spent it in the aging Phoenix. 11 points per match, 36% from beyond the arc, repeating the cycle next year and then fading. Shannon floundered in the abyss of the G-League right up to 2018, and went to finish playing in BIG3.
In the same 2018, together with brother Sterling Brown, they hit the charity and established a foundation that organizes basketball camps for children from poor areas.
In May of this year, Shannon became involved in a very murky story: Shannon was arrested for an armed attack on people who came to see his house for sale, allegedly entering through an open door. Everything ended well, only the reputation was injured.
Vujacic was the full-time sniper of the championship team, when to succeed in this path it was enough to throw a couple of three, hit one, hit a couple of free throws and sit back on the bench. Which he did, being the author of decisive points from the line at the end of the seventh game.
After the Lakers, he also had a hard time: he spent one season with the Nets, went to Europe in the lockout year and played the lion's share of the time in the Italian championship. Vujacic returned to the Knicks for two years in the middle of the decade, but was not in demand among other teams. A year ago, he auditioned for New Orleans and said he wanted to join the Lakers. Things did not go further than plans, and he again went to play in Italy.
In the championship year 2010, Vuyachich's mother and stepfather opened a winery and named it "Alexander" in honor of, in fact, Sasha. Together with his brother, the ex-basketball player helps to develop the business, but still does not leave attempts to return to the sport.
Born and educated in Los Angeles, Jordan Farmar became the first UCLA player in the 21st century to be selected in the first round, and his basketball career also peaked in Los Angeles.
In the championship team, his duties were reduced to fire support from the bench - the difference between him and Vujacic is that here, in addition to the long-range one, a rally and a pass were added, and, accordingly, Farmar received more serious minutes.
During his career, he played for Efes, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and, unlike many of the heroes of this material, he still managed to return and dust for a year in the Lakers. However, this happened during perestroika, and Farmar did not have a chance to play in serious teams anymore.
Jordan joins our list of entrepreneurs: he founded a company that helps the elderly and the disabled. Now he is building himself a luxurious house in Vegas, where he has been renting an apartment for the past six years.
Lamar took the place of the trump card from the bench. A small forward in the body of a big one - an unusual quality for that era - added versatility to the Lakers. The presence of Lamar allowed the team to play both with two full-sized big ones, and dilute the front court with Odom's mobility.
The following season, Lamar won a top six and the Lakers tried to trade him off for Chris Paul. The league blocked the exchange, Odom was offended by his native organization for such a disregard for himself and asked to leave. Two days later, he was in Dallas for a first-round pick, and his career went downhill.
Odom ran into the Kardashians, then they broke up, and Lamar took the breakup very emotionally - in the fall of 2015, he was found overdosed and unconscious in a brothel in Nevada.
The doctors miraculously put him on his feet, and Odom went to enjoy life: he took part in Dancing with the Stars; played the first and last match in BIG3, showing that with drug mobility also left his body ; and wrote a controversial autobiography, where he told the famous viral story about a rubber penis and doping tests.
Due to his age and lack of certain playing qualities, Derek Fischer did not look serious as a starting point guard in the championship team. But it cannot be said that he was undeservedly in his place: Fish took the ability to find a common language with everyone around and hit the most important shots. About his influence was well written before me .
In 2012, as a result of the exchange and subsequent expulsion, Derek found himself without a team right in the middle of the year. The contract was offered by Oklahoma, and Fish was dragged into another championship campaign. On the way, the young guys with a wise mentor swept the Lakers 4-1 in the second round and reached the finals, losing it with the same score to LeBron and Miami.
Fischer's post-basketball career has been extremely eventful: he's been beaten off as head coach of the Knicks for bad team play, beaten off by Matt Barnes for kidnapping his wife, beaten off for drunk driving MATT BARNES, lying on mattresses for a while with Matt Barnes and go coach the Sparks in the WNBA. Well, is it impressive? He's led the Sparks for the past two years with a 37-19 win-loss balance and once even made it to the conference finals with them.
The last student selected in the NBA draft at the moment, fate pretty shook. If you open the news by his tag on sports, next to the "Andrew Bynam" in the early tenths there were invariably "knee", "injection" and "surgery" - potentially the best center of the generation, which Bynam was considered, did not get out of the infirmary.
At the time of the championship trips, the situation was not so critical - the center continued to progress, and missed about a third of the matches against the backdrop of emerging prospects and dreams of a dominant center.
Andrew paired well with Gasol and gradually rose to become a full-fledged third star for the Lakers.
However, instead of a star, you always want a superstar - Bynam served as a bargaining chip in Dwight's move and went to Philadelphia. There, Andrew decomposed on the bowling alley and irrevocably ruined his career. Everything could have turned out differently, accompany the center even a drop of luck. There were attempts to return through Cleveland and Indiana, but after five years it became clear to everyone that no matter how healthy Andrew was, there would be no comeback - the league had changed too much.
What Andrew Bynam is currently doing is unknown. Perhaps he just lives for his own pleasure, having earned enough for a comfortable life, because his pictures from different parts of the world periodically flash on the Internet.
Gasol came to Los Angeles as the second star and savior that Kobe had been missing for years.
The mission failed the first time - the Spaniard was trampled into the parquet by Garnett. Pau lacked character, he behaved too softly. The Beijing Olympics, Kobe's tricks on and off the court, and the beard, which gave a stern appearance, contributed to the mental strengthening. Both championship campaigns - Gasol is the second person on the site.
With the transfer of Dwight Howard to the Lakers, Pau fell apart a bit - head coach Mike D'Antoni was completely unable to find the right place for Gasol on the floor. With Howard gone, there was no point in staying with the rebuilding Lakers, bled dry by Bryant's injury, and at the end of his contract, Pau signed with the Bulls. In Chicago, he found a second youth, played leading roles in the playoffs, went to the All-Star game twice - the first time two brothers clashed there on different teams - and then he played out in San Antonio and Milwaukee.
Pau married and had a daughter, Gianna, named after Bryant's deceased daughter.
The Spaniard's last job was Portland, which expelled him last November. But if you think that Gasol ended his career, then you are mistaken - Pau returned to his homeland and, according to rumors, is looking for a new employer.
Like many tough guys who use any means to win, Ron Artest fought Kobe at first, but once in the Lakers, he immediately respected him and fought for his team to the last. Concrete protection, the main three in the clutch - all this was provided by Artest.
Already old enough to play basketball, Ron-Ron quickly deflated after the championship season, changed his name, and departed the sinking ship during the Dwight Howard offseason. Since then, he has played only one solid game at the NBA level, returning to LAL at 36 for two seasons.
Part of his earnings Metta invested in Buttercloth, a fashion company that designs T-shirts. In addition, he is listed as the creator of the XvsX Sports app, which went public in beta last fall.
It is designed to help find like-minded basketball fans and cooperate with them by gathering at the specified site.
Now Metta is enjoying life - visiting podcasts, going to interviews, playing with her son in the Drew League. This year he got married, changed his last name again - now he is Metta Sandiford-Artest.
Soul and heart, engine and gearbox of that team entered its penultimate career cycle - the body still allowed to play at a high level, the mind had just figured out how to make everyone around it better. All the victories of the second final series were obtained as soon as Kobe did not go well and he stopped taking the initiative, trying to play more for partners.
Everyone knows the sequel - torn Achilles, hard recovery, comeback, farewell tour and 60 points in the last match. Bryant graduated in 2016, and in the short period allotted to him by fate, he managed to put together an impeccable and very long resume, which rightfully stands out among those of other ex-basketball players.
Kobe has won Emmys and Oscars, written an autobiography and a series of children's books, filmed a playoff review series, and worked with young basketball players - in a word, very short and very bright.
On January 26, 2020, at the age of 41, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously.
The wise mentor managed to competently gather such a diverse team into a single mechanism and win his 11th ring, setting an "eternal" record among coaches.
In 2011 he retired from coaching. Three years later, after releasing a book about his 11 rings, he got a job at the Knicks as club president. Jackson's task was to competently rebuild and rejuvenate the squad. And the tactics seemed to be chosen correctly, but the implementation let us down - Phil left the organization in 2017 after the draft of Frank Nilikina. The balance of wins and losses of "New York" for 3 years is negative - 80-166; Zen Master's bank account balance is positive - plus $60 million.
Jackson has now retired for good and is unlikely to return from there.
Well, he certainly watches all the games of the final while drinking a cocktail somewhere in the villa.
Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Ronald Martinez
Since 2004 - it’s impossible, they give a yellow one.
Nowadays, football players carefully rehearse celebrations: invent dances, prepare textured handshakes, celebrate important events in the world of pop culture.
A spectacular celebration without a T-shirt has a special place in the system. Although FIFA forbade celebrating like this at the beginning of the 2000s. Since 2004, this has been punished with a yellow card. It is not necessary to completely remove the shirt: it is even forbidden to pull it over your head and show the inscriptions on the linen under the game T-shirt (even good ones).
Sanctions don't stop footballers - they still celebrate without a jersey. “Women love it,” Cristiano Ronaldo said with a smile in 2016. My girlfriend says I look very good. I swear, such a celebration happens spontaneously. It's not planned."
It seems that before the ban, players were less likely to celebrate a goal by taking off their shirt. But there were some iconic moments.
In 1997, Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler supported the city's striking port workers. After the goal against Norwegian side Brann, he lifted his jersey and showed a T-shirt that read "500 Liverpool dockers sacked since 1995". Fowler was fined 900 pounds (for a political statement, not for a pulled up T-shirt). Although UEFA then sympathized with Fowler and began a press release with the words "This may seem strange and even unfair ...".
At the beginning of November 2002, young Forlan got into a funny situation.
Diego tried to establish himself in the basis of Manchester United and hammered in the winning goal for Southampton at Old Trafford. The Uruguayan tore off his T-shirt and emotionally celebrated the goal scored near the corner flag. He did not have time to put on a jersey, Southampton played the ball in the center. The game went on, and Forlan ran with a T-shirt in his hands.
Another important celebration is at Ryan Giggs. In the 1998/99 season, he scored the legendary goal for Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals, beating half the team. “When someone mentions this game, I immediately imagine Giggs without a shirt. He waves it over his head, celebrating the incredible winning goal,” says Paul Scholes.
In the end, Manchester United won the Cup, beating Newcastle 2-0 in the final.
The team made a treble that season.
Everything changed in 2004. FIFA has tightened the rules: now a yellow card is punished for taking off a T-shirt. There is no official reason. Scottish federation spokesman Donald McVicar said that at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, members of the FIFA executive committee saw how football players often take off their shirts during the celebration, and decided to do something about it.
Today the organization interprets such a celebration as unsportsmanlike conduct. Until 2016, in the section “Additional instructions for referees and assistant referees” there was this wording: celebrating without a T-shirt is an excessive manifestation of joy. By the way, the ban applies not only to T-shirts under the game uniform, but also to underwear (it cannot be shown).
It is not known why FIFA tightened the rules.
There are several theories. Celebrating without a T-shirt can be regarded as a delay (the case of Forlan is indicative). Often players wear a T-shirt with a message under their uniform. FIFA is categorically against it: the organization is sure that political slogans and even kind personal messages have no place in football (this is additionally regulated by a separate article).
There is another version. One of the leaders of IFAB (an organization that regulates the rules of the game of football), David Elleray, in 2016 explained the ban by saying that a naked torso is not welcome in some countries, cultures and religions.
Footballers rip off their T-shirts in the most emotional moments. Here are the main pieces of evidence.
Andrés Iniesta dedicated the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final to Daniel Jarque, the former Espanyol defender who died of a heart attack in 2009.
Before the final, the Spaniard put on a T-shirt with the inscription "Dani Jarque is always with us" under the game shirt, and then scored the most important goal in the history of Spanish football.
In October 2011, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford. Balotelli scored and showed the legendary inscription "Why always me?" ("Why always me?").
In the 2011/12 season, Agüero scored the goal that brought Manchester City the title. And he took off his shirt.
In April 2017, Messi scored a winning double against Real Madrid, took off his jersey and showed it to the stands.
Loves to celebrate without a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt. Started young.
But matured Krish shows the torso, scoring against Atlético in the Lisbon Champions League final, which brought Real Madrid a decima.
In the 2017 Supercopa de España, Ron appears to have replicated Messi's celebration.
Vida scored against Russia in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup and took off his jersey.
Last year, Leicester midfielder Demeray Gray dedicated a goal he scored to club owner Vichai Srivadhanaprabha who died in a plane crash. Gray took off his T-shirt and showed the inscription "For kun (respectful treatment in Thailand - approx.) Wichai."
Match referee Lee Probert shows Gray a yellow card.
Finally, in the 2012/13 season of the Bundesliga, the emotional celebration with the removal of the T-shirt ended up being removed altogether. Hannover midfielder Sabolcs Husti scored the winning goal in the match against Werder Bremen and ran to the fans. The Hungarian took off his jersey and climbed the fence in front of the podium to celebrate with the fans.
The referee showed him two yellow cards - one for taking off his shirt, one for climbing the fence - and sent him off 🔴
Otamendi has characters from Vikings, Peaky Blinders and Breaking Bad stuffed on his back.
