Memphis Grizzlies legend Marc Gasol joins Zach Randolph as the only two people in the franchise's history to have their jersey number retired.

The Spaniard was in attendance at FedExForum, Tennessee to witness the ceremony that saw his No.33 jersey be retired by the organisation.

Let's take a look back at the former centre's best moments in a basketball jersey in the NBA.

1. 2012-2013- pipping LeBron James to the Defensive Player of the Year

Gasol broke multiple records in 2013 as he was voted as the Defensive Player of the Year.

The former Memphis player was on top form in a decent side that year. 

His significant impact on their defensive play helped the team finish second in the NBA South West division with a record of 56-26.

However, his fantastic performances were recognised by others as he beat that year's MVP, LeBron James, to grasp the defensive honour.

His huge achievement also etched his name into the NBA history books as he became the first Grizzlies player to secure the accolade and also became the first-ever European winner of the award.

However, there were some controversies surrounding the Spaniard's achievement as James seemed to average better stats across the campaign.

In 80 games that term, Gasol averaged 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, four assists, one steal and 1.7 blocks per game.

Whereas James played 76 games; he averaged 26.8 points, eight rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per match.

However, Gasol's total impact on his team should not be overlooked and probably had a significant impact on his votes that year.

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Marc Gasol #33, and Tony Parker #9 of the <strong><a  data-cke-saved-href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/03/30/1177898-preview-golden-state-warriors-vs-san-antonio-spurs-looking-for-an-important-victory-to-continue-in-the-play-in.html' href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/03/30/1177898-preview-golden-state-warriors-vs-san-antonio-spurs-looking-for-an-important-victory-to-continue-in-the-play-in.html'>Western Conference</a></strong> All-Stars are seen in the locker room before the 2012 NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia Motors as part of 2012 All-Star Weekend against the <strong><a  data-cke-saved-href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/04/05/1178651-how-far-can-joel-embiids-return-take-the-76ers.html' href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/04/05/1178651-how-far-can-joel-embiids-return-take-the-76ers.html'>Eastern Conference</a></strong> All-Stars at the Amway Center on February 26, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Marc Gasol #33, and Tony Parker #9 of the Western Conference All-Stars are seen in the locker room before the 2012 NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia Motors as part of 2012 All-Star Weekend against the Eastern Conference All-Stars at the Amway Center on February 26, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

2. NBA Championship title win

Although Gasol had a huge legacy at the Grizzlies and became a franchise legend, he was unable to lead the team to an NBA title in the 11 years he spent there.

In February 2019, he was eventually traded to the Toronto Raptors where he helped transform their defence to an elite level.

Toronto finished that season in second place in the Eastern Conference after tallying 58 wins.

However, an outstanding performance in the post-season saw the franchise secure their first-ever NBA Championship title.

His defensive presence was heavily felt in the Raptors' games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.

The Spaniard used his elite basketball Intelligence and positional awareness to close down shooting angles for the opposition to attempt to score from.

Although he was not the fastest player on the court, he used elite his strengths to smother and numb the sting of his opponents' star players.

That season, the Philadelphia 76ers' centre Joel Embiid recorded an average of 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

However, in the seven games that the 76ers and Raptors faced each other in the  Conference Semi-finals, Gasol was able to hold the Philadelphia star to an average of 17.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

This is a significant decrease from his regular-season stats from that campaign showcasing that Gasol had an enormous impact on the Raptors' performance in the post-season and helped them to win their only NBA Championship title.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors and Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in the first half during Game Six of the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on September 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors and Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in the first half during Game Six of the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on September 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)

3.  Cementing his place in the Memphis Grizzlies- history books

Gasol and former teammate Mike Conley built a legendary legacy in Memphis, etching their names into the franchise's records.

Both have claimed all-time leading stats that are yet to be broken.

The Spaniard's incredible reputation in defence is reflected in the stats he holds within the Grizzlies' history.

He holds the franchise record for total rebounds (5942), defensive rebounds (4624), blocks (1135), turnovers (1607), field goals (4341) and many more. 

4. Scoring the winning shot against the San Antonio Spurs

In 2017, the Grizzlies sneaked into the playoffs after finishing in seventh place in the Western Conference with a record of 43-39.

In the first round of the post-season games, Memphis had to face the second-placed San Antonio Spurs, which proved to be a tough challenge.

The Spurs cruised to a comfortable 2-0 game lead after being victorious with results of 111-82 and 96-82.

The Grizzlies bounced back from the two defeats with a 105-94 win.

However, they had to secure a win in the match after that to ensure that San Antonio wasn't one game away from advancing to the next round of the playoffs.

The game was intense throughout with regular time ending 96-96 meaning that the game was forced to go into overtime.

Even overtime found it difficult to separate the two teams as the game was tied 108-108 until the final second when a hero stepped up for the Grizzlies.

That hero was Marc Gasol.

He wiggled his way into the opposition's area before looping a shot into the net within the last 0.7 seconds of the fixture to secure a 110-108 win for his team.

Despite his heroic efforts, the Spurs went on to be eventual 4-2 winners.

SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 5: Marc Gasol #33 of the <strong><a  data-cke-saved-href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/02/18/1172997-nba-all-star-2024-preview-time-to-shine.html' href='https://www.vavel.com/en-us/nba/2024/02/18/1172997-nba-all-star-2024-preview-time-to-shine.html'>Memphis Grizzlies</a></strong> and Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs share a laugh during the game on January 5, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 5: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs share a laugh during the game on January 5, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)

5. Sibling showdown: Marc vs Pau

Marc and Pau Gasol have been one of the most iconic sets of siblings in NBA history.

Marc, who is the younger sibling, was involved in a huge trade that included his brother Pau, who was a former six-time NBA All-Star.

In February 2008, the LA Lakers acquired Pau in a massive deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. 

In the haul of things in return for the centre-forward, the draft rights to Marc were secured by Memphis. 

Both players went on to face each other 29 times in their lengthy careers.

Pau won the most matches against his sibling but it was Marc who averaged more points.

In head-to-head games against each other, Marc averaged 13 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

Whereas Pau tallied a mean 12.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and three assists.

Their battles on the court provided entertainment for NBA fans for eight years.

JOHANNESBURG, SA - JULY 31: Pau and Marc Gasol of Team World gets ready during practice for the NBA Africa Game 2015 as part of Basketball Without Borders on July 31, 2015 at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
JOHANNESBURG, SA - JULY 31: Pau and Marc Gasol of Team World gets ready during practice for the NBA Africa Game 2015 as part of Basketball Without Borders on July 31, 2015 at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)