Behind the Numbers: Pau Gasol
For some players, their uniform number represents a tribute to their childhood hero. For others, it’s a number worn by family members throughout their careers at various levels. But for Pau Gasol, who wears number 16, he started wearing it because he didn’t really have a choice.
“Sixteen was the number that they used to give to the young players becoming professionals back in Spain. Until a couple of years back you could only choose from number four to number 15, those 12 numbers, those were the only numbers you could choose between,” says Gasol. “The 16 and 17 were the additional numbers for the young players when somebody got hurt and they needed a young player to come in. They were the extra numbers, and they gave me the 16 in my first year with F.C. Barcelona. They just give it to you, you don’t have any choice whatsoever. If you’re new on the team and you’re also the youngest player, you don’t have any right to choose anything.”
When he joined F.C. Barcelona on a full-time basis the next year, Gasol had the option of having a number between four and 15 with the rest of the veterans, but opted not mess with the good karma number 16 had brought him a year earlier.
“I kept it because I had a great year and a lot of success. They let me keep it because you could play with a 16 if you wanted to even though it was just an additional number, but I wanted to keep it.”