Pau Gasol, a legend of the Los Angeles Lakers, experienced emotional turmoil on Wednesday night as he watched his No. 16 jersey be raised to the rafters of the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers management recognized all of Gasol’s contributions to the improvement of the team, making it the greatest honor for the two-time NBA champion to have his jersey retired.
Anthony Davis was in attendance during Gasol’s jersey retirement ceremony and it is clear that AD drew some inspiration from the historic occasion. As reported by Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, it was Davis himself who revealed what he told Gasol during the latter’s special evening. According to AD, he wants to see his No. 3 jersey retired by the Lakers as well someday.
Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey is only the 12th retired number in Lakers franchise history. LeBron James will definitely be joining this esteemed list somewhere down the road, and for his part, Anthony Davis also wants to be part of Lakers history. It’s a tall task, no doubt, but you have to say that AD is already on the right path toward this ultimate goal.
For his part, LeBron has to be happy about Davis’ bold declaration here. This not only shows how determined AD is to becoming an all-time great, but it is also a clear indication of the eight-time All-Star’s unwavering commitment to the Lakers.
Right now, Anthony Davis has a great opportunity in his hands to prove his worth. LeBron is going to be out of commission for the next couple of weeks due to injury, and with LA chasing a playoff spot out in the West, AD will need to be at his best if he hopes to carry the Lakers sans James.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com