Grizzlies retire Marc Gasol’s No. 33: ‘I cared too much about playing the right way and winning’
Gasol played 11 seasons with the Grizzlies, from 2008 to 2019, winning a Defensive Player of the Year award, a first-team All-NBA honor, and was a 3-time All-Star.
The Memphis Grizzlies last night retired the No. 33 jersey of Marc Gasol, the Spanish big man who was a key player of the ‘Grit and Grind’ era,
After the ceremony Gasol addressed the crowd to thank everyone.
“I want to thank everyone, starting with my former coaches and teammates. Excuse me if I was a pain in the ass at times, the reality is that I cared too much about playing ‘the right way’ and winning. In this week spent in Memphis together with my family I saw again so many familiar faces, old friends, the love we received from everyone we will always carry with us. Thank you, this really means the world to us.”
Finally, the Spanish center thanked his longtime ‘Grit and Grind’ teammates- Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley-, explaining how the habits and memories of their time together were also important in the NBA title he won with the Toronto Raptors.
Gasol played 11 seasons with the Grizzlies, from 2008 to 2019, winning a Defensive Player of the Year award, a first-team All-NBA honor, and was a 3-time All-Star.