Kobe Bryant is one of the only athletes across all sports to have not just one, but two iconic jerseys numbers. According to his former teammate, Trevor Ariza, Kobe embraced two different mentalities when wearing the two numbers. He explained that while both represented the uniform of a killer, there was a small, yet very significant distinction between them.
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According to Ariza, the younger Kobe, wearing #8, was simply relentless and wanted to tear down anybody who acted as an obstacle.
“#8 Kobe – ‘I’m gonna kill every f**king body in my way, I’m going to win on my terms, if you’re not working like how I’m working, I’m not f**king with you,’” He said on Forgotten Seasons.
The 6ft 6” shooting guard switched to #24 during his 12th campaign in the NBA. According to the former Laker, Bryant perceived himself to be a mentor for the younger generation and slightly less hostile after this change. But, Ariza also makes it clear that this new role didn’t take away his competitiveness.
“#24 was more ‘alright, I’m on this side now. I’m in my 12th year, I’m starting to see younger guys that I like, I want to have guys under my wing and teach a little bit of something… I’m still a killer, I’m still gonna talk sh*t, I’m still gonna try to beat your a**. But imma bring people along with me, I’m gonna share the wealth a little bit more…”
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While representing #8, Kobe won three titles. While this is hardly an unsuccessful era in his career, he saw far more accolades after the eventual switch to #24.
He almost immediately won the MVP award, along with two titles (one with Trevor Ariza as his teammate), and two Finals MVPs. Having more individual success in the second half of his career, it isn’t surprising that the combo guard always seemed to prefer his #24 era over the #8 era.
Kobe Bryant once explained his preference
Kobe Bryant switching his jersey numbers had a lot more to do with different aspects of his life outside of basketball. By the 2007-08 season, Kobe was reaching the age of 30 and was entering the second half of his career. So, he believed that he needed switch to a number that signified growth.
“24 is a growth from that. Physical attributes aren’t there the way they used to be, but the maturity level is greater. Marriage, kids. Start having a broader perspective being one of the older guys on the team now, as opposed to being the youngest. Things evolve,” Kobe said, per CBS.
Kobe was known for being a killer on the court. During his stint with the #8, he was simply merciless. So, one would naturally assume that he would prefer #8 over #24, right? Well, apparently not.
Kobe loved challenging himself to tap into his full potential. During the second half of his career, Bryant had to deal with a lot of challenges in the form of physical health.
Despite being injury-riddled for the majority of his last 10 years – 26.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game – in the NBA, Kobe was arguably more successful than the first 10 years – 23.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game .
“I think 24 was more challenging and you know. I tend to gravitate to things that are harder to do and physically for me it was really really hard to get up night in the night out man.”
Bryant further elaborated on his point,
“It’s a grind.. Taking on the Boston Celtics, having a bone fragment and my foot during that series having a broken finger and muscling through that in back half of the career some of the toughest stretches of basketball ever. So I guess if you force me to pick one, I probably go with 24 because of that,” Kobe said, per ESPN.
Kobe Bryant had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career for each of his two stints with different jersey numbers. Consequently, the Los Angeles Lakers have retired both jerseys in honor of the legend, something that has only added to his already magnanimous legacy.
