On a surprise to none, Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame class, an accolade we all knew he was going to accomplish 15 years ago, to say the least.
Bryant holds one of the best resumes in NBA history, let alone the fact that he became arguably the most influential player of the past two decades, in the words of most NBA players nowadays.
Kobe was the Michael Jordan of most of the young stars that are taking the league for assault now. He embraced them, he took them under his wing and tried to pass his wisdom to the next generation of All-Stars. Both on and off the court.
We could talk nonstop about Kobe Bryant’s legacy. We could talk about his 5 rings, his MVP, the way he thrived in adversity, his performances with Team USA, you name it. We could go on and on for years talking about a fascinating man whose entire life was dedicated to two things: being the best and helping those who came right after him.
However, we’re here to talk merely about numbers. About Kobe’s numbers, the ones that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer over a decade before retiring, years before his life came to a sudden, tragic, unexpected end.
Thing is, Kobe Bryant’s career could actually be cut in two. One with number 8, the other with number 24. Both of them would be worthy Hall of Fame consideration.
As a matter of fact, Kobe scored more points with both of his jerseys (16,866 and 18,777, respectively), than 91 Hall of Famers throughout their entire careers, including the likes of Tiny Archibald, James Worthy, and Pete Maravich.
3 rings with number 8, 2 rings, 2 Finals MVPs, and 1 MVP with number 24. A career not many players will be able to come close to when it’s all said and done, a legacy that will live on forever; a legend that will have his jerseys hanging high in the rafters until the end of time. Mamba Forever.
