LOS ANGELES—When Pau Gasol joined the Los Angeles Lakers just over 15 years ago, the Spanish 7-footer banished his ego, redoubled his work ethic and immediately turned this team into contenders who eventually became champions. Gasol and Kobe Bryant did it all together, and their numbers now hang side by side in the Lakers’ arena….

Nearly a full year after retiring from basketball after 18 NBA seasons, which included back-to-back championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced Wednesday, August 17, that it will retire Pau Gasol’s No. 16 in March. Gasol, who turned 42 last month, will have his number raised to the rafters at Crypto.com Arena in…