Marc Gasol — who spent 13 years of his professional basketball career in the NBA, where he won a championshi
p with Toronto, was Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Star — announced his retirement from basketball on Wednesday.
Gasol started his career in Spain playing for FC Barcelona and CB Girona, but in 2007 the Lakers drafted him with the No. 48 pick. He played another season in Spain and before pulling a Lakers’ uniform over his head was traded to Memphis in the deal that brought his brother, Pau Gasol, to the Lakers. That deal worked out well for everyone.
Gasol would play for the Grizzlies for a decade, anchoring the paint for the best Memphis teams ever, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and being named an All-Star three times.
Memphis traded Gasol to Toronto midway through the 2018-19 season, and he brought a defensive presence in the paint and some passing that opened things up for Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and the rest of the team. Toronto doesn’t have its 2019 championship banner without him.
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