Ranking Pau Gasol’s Greatest Moments as a Member of the Los Angeles Lakers

• The Los Angeles Lakers retired Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey on Tuesday night
• Gasol received this honor after helping the team win two championships
• He transformed the Lakers, leading them to three straight Finals appearances

The Los Angeles Lakers honored Pau Gasol on Tuesday, lifting his jersey to the rafters during his retirement ceremony.

The Spanish star became emotional as he joined other Laker legends in that exclusive club.

To help remember Gasol’s greatness, Sports Brief has listed his best moments as a Los Angeles Laker.

Gasol wins first NBA championship

After eight years of playing in the league, Gasol finally won his first NBA championship in 2009. Expectations were high for the Lakers, who entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference.

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They made light work of the Utah Jazz in the first round, defeating them in five games. Gasol played well for Los Angeles, averaging 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in that series.

The Lakers had to dig deep in the Western Conference Semi-finals, as they needed seven games to oust the Houston Rockets. Gasol was a force down low for the team, averaging 18.6 points and 12.0 rebounds in that series, per Basketball Reference.

The Lakers got their groove back in the Western Conference Finals, beating the Denver Nuggets 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. Gasol showed his class in the series clincher, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Game 6 against the Nuggets.

Gasol and the Lakers wouldn’t be denied in the NBA Finals, defeating the Orlando Magic in five games. Gasol averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in that series as he won his first-ever NBA title.

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Gasol captures second NBA title

The pressure was on the Lakers to repeat as champs in 2010. For the second consecutive year, they entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles were tested by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, with the Lakers needing six games to advance to the Western Conference Semi-finals.

The Lakers faced the Utah Jazz in that round, bringing out the broomsticks in an impressive four-game sweep. The Phoenix Suns provided a much sterner test in the Western Conference Finals, but Los Angeles still advanced with a 4-2 series win.

The stage was set for an epic showdown with the Boston Celtics. Lakers fans wanted this matchup after the Celtics defeated them in the NBA Finals two years earlier. The series was tightly contested, with the 2010 Finals going into a seventh game.

The Lakers battled back from an early deficit in the series decider to pull off the 83-79 win. Gasol had a monster double-double in that contest, finishing with 19 points and 18 rebounds.

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He averaged 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 7 games in that series, cementing his status as one of the all-time great Laker centers.

Gasol reaches Finals in 2008

The Los Angeles Lakers sent their fans into a frenzy when they acquired center, Gasol in a blockbuster trade on February 1, 2008. His impact was immediate, helping the Lakers reach the NBA Finals for the first time in four years.

Unfortunately for Gasol and the Lakers, their championship dreams were dashed as the Boston Celtics defeated them 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. That experience proved crucial to the Lakers, who went on to win the following two titles.

Retired numbers of Laker greats

Sports Brief recently reported on the Lakers' retired jersey numbers after Gasol joined an elite list this week.

The Spaniard's No. 16 jersey was placed alongside Kobe Bryant's No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys in the rafters.

Also on the list are stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.