Los Angeles, California - The Los Angeles Lakers honored two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol by retiring his number 16 jersey during halftime of Tuesday's 112-103 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol, who ended his stay in the NBA after the 2018-19 campaign, spent seven of his 18 seasons with the Lakers after being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade at the 2008 deadline.

Having been named the 2002 Rookie of the Year, the seven-foot Spaniard made his first All-Star team in 2006 after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, but he would not make another until arriving in LA.

After Gasol's arrival, the Lakers went from a first-round exit in 2007 all the way to the NBA Finals, falling short against historic rivals the Boston Celtics in six games. With a training camp under their belt and in his first full season alongside Kobe Bryant, Gasol helped the Lakers win their 15th championship, and Bryant's fourth, before doubling up the season after.

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That mythical partnership with Kobe was fittingly evoked by a 2018 video of the late Lakers legend making a fateful prediction: "When [Gasol] retires, he will have his number in the rafters next to mine."

That's exactly what happened on Tuesday night, with the 42-year-old reduced to tears at the sight of his jersey displayed alongside his sorely missed friend's.

Prior to the ceremony, Gasol spoke to the media about the honor of having his number go up in the rafters alongside Bryant.

"I think I've done as good as I could to really embrace it and savor it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I've had," he said. "Obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful, and powerful, and sad, and happy, and painful, and joyful. It's a lot of things."

"The excitement, the anticipation, the honor received, it's just so big that it's been hard to really take it in."

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"I have to keep reminding myself that it's a celebration. It's great. It's lovely. It's just great that you can experience this in your life."

As for Kobe, Gasol – who was introduced by Vanessa Bryant on the night – finished with a touching message: "I miss him a lot. There's nothing I can do about it but to love his family. That's how I deal with it."