Three-time NBA All-Star, Marc Gasol announced his retirement from basketball on Wednesday, wrapping up a 20 year career that spans overseas and in the NBA.
He was the 48th pick in the 2008 draft, where he was a draft and stash prospect. His rights were traded from the Los Angeles Lakers in a package to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Gasol then went on to play for 14 seasons in the NBA, 11 of those seasons with the Grizzlies, where he made his mark as one of the best big men in the league.
He made three All-Star game appearances and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2012-2013 season. Marc Gasol anchored the "Grit and Grind era" along with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. This era saw the franchise win playoff games against the one seeded San Antonio Spurs and would go on to make the franchise's first Western Conference Finals in 2011.
Gasol later got traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he helped them win a NBA Championship in 2019. He last played in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the 2020-2021 season.
Overall throughout his career Gasol averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 891 regular season NBA games (32.2 MPG). He also posted a shooting line of .481/.360/.776 and appeared in 99 playoff contests.
He last suited up for Basquet Girona, the team he founded in his native country Spain.
Throughout his time with the franchise he became the Memphis Grizzlies' franchise leader in field goals, and rebounds.
Along with his iconic career in the NBA, Gasol has also had success internationally, representing Spain in the Olympics, where he won silver medals in the 2008 Olympics and bronze in 2012, playing alongside his brother Pau Gasol.
Gasol will reportedly have his number 33 jersey retired by the Memphis Grizzlies.
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