The two-decade-long NBA journey of Kobe Bryant has woven his legacy into the fabric of the league’s history. Throughout his career, the numbers on his jerseys symbolized his development as a Los Angeles Lakers player. After all, the late great wore the iconic 8 during his first ten years in the league before switching to 24 for the following ten.
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Reflecting on his endeavors, the 5x champion evidently registered two Hall of Fame status careers in those distinct chapters. During the first period, the Philadelphia-born completed a memorable three-peat and was even arguably the best player on the team for stages of that run. In the second phase, the 18x All-Star secured one MVP award before winning two titles and two Finals MVP awards.
With everything that went on in his historic career, many have wondered why it is that he wore the numbers he did, and why he changed them in the first place. We are here to answer those questions and more.
Why did Kobe wear 8?
In 1995, the 6ft 6″ star attended Adidas’ ABCD basketball camp as a senior high school player of Lower Merion. While playing with jersey number 143, the then-teenager caught the eye as his gameplay outshined his peers. The organizers recognized his talent as they awarded him with the camp MVP award.
Therefore, coming into the 1996 draft, when there were concerns surrounding his ability, Bryant kept faith in his past success. The addition of those digits resulted in the number 8 which he decided to embrace while stepping on the NBA floor. Reflecting on the occasion, the Black Mamba later mentioned, “When I first came in at 8, is really trying to ‘plant your flag’ sort of thing”, as per Bleacher Report.
Why did Kobe switch to 24?
Following a humiliating first-round defeat to the Phoenix Suns in 2006, Bryant switched to number 24 to signify “growth”. While justifying the reason, the 4x All-Star Game MVP stated, “Physical attributes aren’t there the way they used to be, but the maturity level is greater”. “Start having a broader perspective being one of the older guys on the team now, as opposed to being the youngest. Things evolve,” he further added.
Despite that, his contemporary, Kevin Garnett, cited the personal rivalry with Michael Jordan as the major contributor behind the decision. “That was a sign to everybody that he was a step above 23,” the 2008 champion highlighted while shedding light on MJ’s iconic number. “That was a shot at Mike [Michael Jordan],” KG declared to share his perspective on the switch.
What number does Kobe prefer: 8 or 24?
More than half a decade ago, the 2008 MVP shed light on his preferred jersey number for his statue. “It’s really really tough for me. I think 24 is more challenging and I tend to gravitate to things that are harder to do and physically for me,” he mentioned. “If you force me to pick one, I would probably go with 24 because of that,” Bryant added highlighting his preference.
In the end, both the digits carry different volumes of significance. At first, the City of Angels witnessed a teenager evolve into a champion wearing the number 8. Then, the fallen soldier rose against the odds to reconquer his kingdom while adding historical importance to the number 24. The Lakers franchise thus acknowledged those aspects as they retired both the numbers of the Hall of Famer.
