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Marc Gasol Absolutely Deserves Jersey Retirement By Memphis Grizzlies

ByChristian Dudley|
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

The Memphis Grizzlies will be retiring Marc Gasol’s jersey number, and there should be zero naysayers about this decision.

Marc Gasol‘s tenure of 10.5 seasons as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies came to a close on Thursday afternoon. Though he has found a new home with the Toronto Raptors, the city of Memphis is where his heart remains.

Prior to entering the NBA, Marc lived in Memphis while his older brother — Pau Gasol — thrived with the Grizzlies. It is a wonderful story to reminisce now that no player by the name of Gasol remains on the team’s roster. It truly is an end of an era — or rather two eras, considering “Grit-‘N’-Grind” and the transition from Gasol brothers.

Memphis, Tennessee was home for Marc Gasol prior to him playing a day in the NBA. Now after Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, his Grizzly career is over. He is atop the leaderboard in many statistical categories. He has added many individual accomplishments to his résumé, too. Yet, one last honor — via the Memphis Grizzlies — awaits Marc, with a specific date to be determined.

On Friday, approximately 24 hours after the Grizzlies reached a collective agreement to part ways with their franchise center, the organization’s majority owner — Robert Pera — announced their plans to retire uniform No. 33 in the future to honor Marc Gasol’s tenure.

Though Marc is the most decorated player in Memphis Grizzlies franchise history, this honor extends beyond his impact on the hardwood. It is a tribute to his efforts off the court, too, which match his excellence on the court.

You will be hard-pressed to find another NBA player outside of the Grizzlies organization that has assisted a community as much Gasol, or any other long-time member of the Grizzlies for that matter. Memphis has seen their NBA team step up time and time again. Marc has been a huge part of that, and a portion of the the jersey number retirement honor is in correlation to this fact.

On the court, Gasol has been one of the league’s top centers since he entered the NBA in 2008. As a rookie, he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. From there, he has made his way to three NBA All-Star selections, including accolades of the starting center position for the Western Confernce All-Stars in 2015. This highlights his rise to elite status as an NBA center, acknowledged by players, coaches, and fans across the globe.

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Then, consider his two All-NBA selections, which took place in the 2012-13 (Second Team) and 2014-15 (First Team) seasons. These are additional moments in basketball history that players, coaches, fans, and others worldwide agreed that Marc Gasol was an elite baller overall, including best at his position just a few years ago.

A big factor in Marc’s greatness is his exceptional two-way play. On the offensive end, he owns a career average of 15.2 points and 3.4 assists per game (while holding average season highs of 19.5 points and 4.7 assists). Defensively, he has earned a Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2012-13 season while collecting an All-Defensive Team honor.

These are more accolades than any other Grizzly in franchise history. If anyone in the Memphis Grizzlies’ history deserves to have their jersey number retired, it is definitely Marc Gasol. Robert Pera has already confirmed that Zach Randolph and Tony Allen will receive the same honor at some point, and rightfully so. Mike Conley will also join these three once his days as a Grizzly are complete.

Nobody should question this decision to say thanks to No. 33. Without Marc, “Grit-‘N’-Grind” probably would not have reached its peak, if at all. He was the rim protector. He was added motivation on the floor. He was a punisher when Z-Bo was drawing the double-team, and vice-versa.

Gasol was as important as Randolph, Allen, and Conley during those days of the Core Four. That group became so great because of their specialized team chemistry on and off the floor. It was a rare, but perfect, bunch. They were incredibly tough to beat, and not just at home.

They complemented each other well, and a lot of it had to do with Marc’s versatility as a five-man — having the ability to score inside as well as long-range, create open looks then finding the open man, and performing stifling defense in the post and painted area.

Remove any one of those Core Four members, and history would have been so much different. The Memphis Grizzlies would not have been nearly as successful. This franchise would not have earned as much respect this decade. Opponents would not have feared the Grindhouse as much they did then and do today.

Following the demise of the Core Four, Marc Gasol carried out his duties nearly by himself in the 2017-18 season. Conley assisted him in just 12 games due to injury recovery, and Gasol was the lone star attempting to keep games respectable while youth development finally took place.

This is something that Zach and Tony did not have to do in Memphis. Mike Conley has not had to take on this order until now — following Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline. We will begin to see how this plays out in the final 26 games of the 2018-19 season as Conley takes on the similar sole leadership role as Marc assumed one year ago.

Lastly, it boils down to commitment from the elite No. 33. While Marc Gasol owned the title as the NBA’s top center in 2015, he entered Free-Agency for the first time and quickly re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Potential suitors included large-market teams such as the New York Knicks, a storied franchise by the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, and a winning powerhouse in the San Antonio Spurs. He declined all of those options to remain in Memphis long-term, and it seems as if a lot of Grizzlies fans today take that moment for granted.

This decision of Marc’s made Memphis relevent in the NBA for a few more seasons. The GNG days could have actually been over sooner had he bolted town. Of course, the same thing can be said of Mike Conley, who had similar suitors in his free-agency of 2016.

Again, these Grizz legends have needed each other in order to become as great as they have been over the years. The next big star in Memphis appears to be Jaren Jackson Jr., but still, that is a tall task facing the rookie. The ones that do not believe so are the same ones that take Marc Gasol’s services for granted. His jersey retirement is an opportunity to applaud his rise to stardom that expands more than a decade of NBA action inside the 901.

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