Grizzlies planning to retire Marc Gasol’s No. 33

When Marc Gasol’s number 33 reaches the rafters at FedEx Forum, he will be joining Zach Randolph, his old frontcourt mate, as the only players to have their jerseys retired by the Grizzlies franchise. This is certainly a well-deserved acclaim, as for much of Gasol’s time with the Grizzlies, they were one of the most intimidating teams to face in the NBA, playing a prominent role in the Grit and Grind’s rise to prominence in the early to mid 2010s.

Originally thought of as a throw-in in the 2008 blockbuster trade that sent his brother Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers, Marc was able to fashion himself an illustrious career that could have him inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when all is said and done.

In his over a decade stint with the Grizzlies, Gasol averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, developing into one of the smartest defensive players in the NBA. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award back in 2013, and during his time in Memphis, he made the All-Star team thrice. During the tail-end of his Grizzlies tenure, he also developed his three-ball. It’s not a stretch at all to view him as the greatest player in franchise history.

Most importantly, the Grizzlies’ most successful years came with Marc Gasol leading the way. The team made the Western Conference Finals in 2013, and they were always competitive in the playoffs from 2011 to 2017 — a seven-year stretch. Memphis went 407-362 with Gasol, per StatMuse, and that win-loss record was dragged down by the Grizzlies’ putridity in the Spanish international’s final one-and-a-half seasons with the team. Gasol helped define an era of Grizzlies basketball, making his jersey retirement a no-brainer.