Was Kobe Bryant number 8?
During his 20 year career, Kobe Bryant only played for the Los Angeles Lakers, after he was drafted by the team coming out of high school. He wore two jersey numbers during that span, No. 8 and No. 24, curiously a decade with each.
Kobe wore No. 8 from 1996-97 to 2005-06. Then, he shocked everyone before the 2006-07 season by changing his number to 24, which confused many fans on why he chose this number.
When late Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from eight to 24 during the 2006-07 season, he explained it at the time as "growth" from his prior digits. "Then 24 is a growth from [No. 8]," Bryant once said.
The two chapters of Kobe Bryant's 20-year Hall of Fame career are divided by two numbers: 8 and 24. Both of those numbers have been retired by the Los Angeles Lakers in honor of Bryant, who won five championships with the team and became one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport.
Kobe went with the number 24 because it's one he wore during his high school career. He later switched to 23, but couldn't wear it in LA because the number was retired for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kobe wore No. 8 when he entered the NBA because of the jersey number he was asigned in the Adidas ABCD camp for high school stars, which was 143, so he added them and came up with number 8 as his jersey choice for his rookie year.
Kobe Bryant: “I wear the number 10 Jersey for the US. National Team in honour of the Greatest athlete I have. ever seen, Messi.” Always in our heart Kobe ❤️
“In high school I started out with number 24. Then I went to number 33 later on. 33 was the number my father wore in high school, so I just switched it to carry on the lineage.”
According to Rich Paul, friend and former agent of 'King James', "LeBron's decision was out of respect for Bill Russell". LeBron was among the last players in the NBA to wear the number 6, after the league retired the number 6 in memory of Bill Russell, who died in the summer of 2022 at the age of 88.
LOS ANGELES -- In a nod to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, LeBron James will change his uniform number from 6 back to 23 for the Los Angeles Lakers this coming season, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group told ESPN on Saturday.
Why does Michael Jordan wear 23?
MJ was motivated as a child by his older brother Larry, so they decided to both wear the Jersey number 45. And when they became partners on the same team, he couldn't wear the same number. So he decided to split the number 45 in half. and rounded it up to 23, and that's how he got the number 23.
Kobe Bryant was 27 years old in 2005-06.
Shaquille O'Neal won three NBA titles with the Lakers. They retired his No. 34 jersey in 2013. The Hall of Fame player also won a championship ring with the Miami Heat. They retired his No. 32 jersey in 2016.
When he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, he switched to No. 6, stating at the time of his decision that it was in honor of Michael Jordan. And that nobody should ever wear No. 23 again.
23 to the United Center rafters in November 1994, which coincided with the unveiling of his statue outside of the arena as well. With his transition to the diamond, Jordan donned the No. 45, his number as a high school baseball player at Laney High, while playing for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
6 for the past two seasons, LeBron James has announced that he will be changing his jersey number once again. The Los Angeles Lakers star will be returning to No. 23, the number he wore during his first three seasons with the team. His agent, Rich Paul, confirmed the decision, stating that it was LeBron's choice.
Bryant's first high-school number was 24 before he switched to 33. After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable as it was worn by George McCloud, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
"He was obsessed," Garnett said. "He chose 24 because of Jordan. He picked it because in his mind he was above Michael. The 24 over the 23.
The Los Angeles Lakers will join the rest of the NBA in celebrating the memory of Bill Russell, a Boston Celtics legend and one of the greatest athletes ever, during the 2022-23 season. Russell passed away in July at the age of 88, prompting the NBA to retire his No. 6 jersey across the league.
The story of #8 and #24
The first-ever guard to be drafted directly out of high school, Kobe Bryant wore the #24 jersey while playing for the Lower Merion High School. He would eventually end up taking the #33 jersey, which has already been retired by his alma mater.
When did Kobe get his tattoo?
Bryant loved tattoos. In 2003, after a woman accused him of rape, he placed a butterfly crown tattoo on his right upper arm along with his wife's name, Vanessa, above a halo and wings near his triceps.
Kobe was the only nba player i've ever seen to wear a glove in an nba game. . He was coming back from a broken hand . injury, and i guess his hand wasn't totally healed . yet, so the team doctor wanted him to wear this glove with padding on it. .
Retired on December 18, 2017 in honor of Kobe Bryant, led the Lakers to five championships, three while wearing #8 and two while wearing #24... 2007-08 NBA Most Valuable Player ...
| YEAR | TEAM | NO. |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Lakers | 8 |
| 2001-02 | Lakers | 8 |
| 2002-03 | Lakers | 8 |
| 2003-04 | Lakers | 8 |
Launched in 2014, the Nike Kobe 9 marked a significant departure in the design philosophy of Kobe Bryant's signature line. Created in collaboration between Kobe Bryant and designer Eric Avar, the Kobe 9 emerged as a reflection of Kobe's personal journey and a symbol of his commitment to the game.
