"Shows what Pau has meant for the most important league in the world" - Rafael Nadal pays tribute to Pau Gasol as LA Lakers retire Spaniard's jersey

Rafael Nadal has paid tribute to basketball legend and good friend Paul Gasol, whose jersey is set to be retired by NBA powerhouse LA Lakers in recognition of his contributions to the team and the league. Nadal proudly highlighted the fact that Gasol is the first Spaniard in NBA history to be honored with the feat and also spoke highly of his friend's legacy in the 'most important league' in the world.

The LA Lakers retired Gasol's No. 16 jersey in a special ceremony on Tuesday night. During his time with the Lakers, Gasol won two championships, both alongside the late Kobe Bryant. The Spanish seven-footer is also a six-time NBA All-Star.

Nadal and Gasol are known to share a great camaraderie, and Gasol has time and again expressed his pride in the Spanish tennis legend's achievements over the years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion lavished praise on Gasol's jersey retirement, expressing pride in witnessing a Spaniard, and also someone he knows so well personally, receive such an honor.

"For LA Lakers to retire Pau Gasol's jersey is something incredible to me," Rafael Nadal said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"It is someone who is not American in a team that is probably the most emblematic in the history of the NBA. For them to retire the jersey of a player that is not American, who is Spanish, and someone I personally have lived it very closely, it makes me very excited."

The 14-time French Open champion also stressed that the jersey retirement only proves how significant Gasol's legacy is in the NBA, undoubtedly the biggest basketball league in the world.

"I think it is a day to celebrate and to be proud of what he has achieved. This shows what Pau is and what Pau has meant for the most important league in the world in a sport in which things like this were very distant years ago," he said.

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Lucky to live Pau Gasol's career closely and that makes it more special: Rafael Nadal

Pau Gasol (R) and Usain Bolt celebrate with Rafael Nadal at the 2013 French Open.

Rafael Nadal further reminisced about his experiences watching Gasol in matches for both the LA Lakers and the Spanish national team, saying that there were so many that deserved to be picked as the best moments of Gasol's career.

He considers himself lucky to have gotten the opportunity to witness Gasol compete from close quarters and feels that makes the basketball legend's achievements even more special in his eyes.

"I have a thousand memories of Pau with the national team and with the Lakers obviously," the former ATP World No. 1 said.

"On a personal level, I have been lucky to live some of them in person and share them with him and the rest of his teammates. Somehow I have been lucky to live Pau's career in a close way and that makes it even more special on a personal level," he added.

Nadal is still recovering from a hip injury he first suffered at the Australian Open and recently withdrew from the Indian Wells and Miami Masters events. He is expected to make his comeback at the start of the claycourt season, starting with the Monte Carlo Masters next month.