Memphis Grizzlies 'Core Four' expected to be together at Marc Gasol's jersey retirement

Marc Gasol's jersey retirement ceremony Saturday night in Memphis may have an even more nostalgic feel than originally anticipated. Not only will Gasol's big brother Pau be in attendance, but the other three of the "Core Four" Memphis Grizzlies also are expected to be at FedExForum.

Former Grizzlies players Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley will be in attendance for Gasol's jersey retirement celebration. The four led the team to one of its best eras in franchise history. The stretch from 2010 to 2017 included a franchise-record 56-win season, a Western Conference finals appearance and one of the NBA's most tenacious defenses year after year.

Each of the Core Four spent at least seven seasons with the Grizzlies. Each of the seven years ended in a playoff appearance, and Memphis won four playoffs series during that stretch.

Allen and Randolph's last season with the Grizzlies was 2017. According to Gasol, that was the last time the quartet shared a room.

"Tomorrow night is going to be even more special, having everybody in the house and connecting with them all together at the same time," Gasol said. "Having those three guys on the court is obviously going to be more special."

Gasol will join Randolph as the first two members of the Core Four to have their jerseys retired. Allen and Conley are expected to join them at some point.

When Randolph's ceremony was held in 2021, Gasol was the only other member to attend. Allen was dealing with legal troubles and Conley was playing with the Utah Jazz.

Conley, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is the only one still playing in the league. The Timberwolves are off Saturday, but he has road games on Friday and Sunday against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.

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Gasol, 39, sat at a podium Friday in front of a large contingent of media members ranging from local reporters to journalists who had traveled from Spain.

"I can't really tell you what it's going to feel like," Gasol said. "I know it's going to be a lot of emotions. The love that I got the last week, every interaction that I had — whether it was a grocery store or just walking around downtown, it's been overwhelming. Knowing that it's going to be emotional for everybody else, it adds to it. I'm going to be very thankful for the love and respect that I have got for so many years."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Marc Gasol's Grizzlies' Core 4 teammates expected at jersey retirement