Pau's Jersey: Hanging in the Rafters?

[fansincemagic]

My first reaction is that the Lakers are such a storied franchise with the highest standards that it shouldn't be a "no brainer". Yes he deserves to have his jersey retired as a Laker IMO, but I was expecting more comparisons. Thankfully Wilkes (in) and Coop (out) have been mentioned at least.

[activeverb]

[anpherknee]

absotively posilutely

[Inspector Gadget]

[Inspector Gadget]

I love what Pau did from 08-10, but he diffinitely made us stress in his last few years as a Laker.

you look at all Lakers jerseys hanging from the rafters and those guys always stepped up in the big moments, Pau was a stat stuffer in Memphis and didn't do much after he won his 2nd ring.

He's a great player who will be remembered for turning the Lakers franchise around, but he's had way to many downs to be a HOFr.

He's a Laker legend and NBA superstar but as far as Hall of famer? That's tough.

[ringfinger]

Did you just post the same thing twice ising different words??

[Inspector Gadget]

[LakerLegend]

[AFireInside619]

Yup, like most of you already agree, he deserves a spot up there. Three finals and two championships. We know he's going to the HOF, so why not get in front of this like we did with Shaq and put him up there? Time heals all wounds, and I thin eventually both sides will want to let bygones be bygones...

[ThePALakersFan]

Absolutely 100%, no 2peat without him. He was the 2 punch with kobe, not a role player. He will be a hof, and the lakers better show him much love with how he had been disrespected multiple times ( ya ya I know it's a biz).

[Scoffs]

Do it Mitch!

[J.C. Smith]

Regardless of how his Laker career ended, there's no question his jersey should be retired imo.

[Goldenwest]

A huge part of the two championships but after that, when he was clearly distracted, misused (MDA) and belittled by coaches (Mike brown, MDA), traded, then constantly shopped, then finally left for a lesser offer..i would find it odd to see his jersey in the rafters. His jersey belongs there in a sense for what he achieved but it will be different than the other jerseys because of how his Laker career was in decline after 09-10. Half his six year Laker career was in decline, though most of it was because he was placed in a bad spot by the team (literally and figuratively).

Given that, I think the Lakers do it, no question.

[999]

Uh yes. Most definitely.

[echobats]

I loved Pau, but retired numbers should be for the greats, not just the very good. He is not on the same level as Magic, West, Shaq, and Kobe. I guess I have a little different standards.
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"He not busy being born is busy dying" Bob Dylan

[ringfinger]

[BynumForThree]

[BynumForThree]

[dabask11]

[greenfrog]

The NBA needs its own hall of fame.

[echobats]

[Gomur]

Pretty stoked about the immediate results. I've got two buds who are diehard Lakers fans and pretty knowledgeable by my account. Yet they're lukewarm about Pau's place among the Lakers greats.

Even without the international merits, I feel he is deserving. He's already one of the most versatile power forwards to ever don the Purple and Gold and he's been a solid trooper through the good times and bad (being badly misused by coaches and trade bait). We won two more trophies thanks in LARGE part to Pau and that is the main point in any argument.

[Plaza234]

He didn't play for the Lakers long enough to have his jersey retired by them. That's insane. In fact I doubt any team will retire his jersey. He's played on too many of them. He was a good player that bounced around.

Would the Celtics retire Garnett's number? Or Ray Allen? Absolutely not. Lakers don't need to lower their standards either.

If you are only going to value a couple titles, then retire Horry and Byron too.

[lakerjoshua]

[lakerjoshua]

Will we retire Odom's Jersey? Or Derek Fisher?