Kobe Bryant is the only player in NBA history to have two of his jersey numbers retired for the same team. Over the span of his 20-year career, he had plenty of brilliant moments on the floor in both No. 8 and No. 24.
On ‘NBA Today’ this week, Matt Barnes was given the impossible task of choosing between those two eras of Kobe’s career — and he gave the perfect response.
“No. 8 gave me a lot of buckets. No. 24 gave me a lot of buckets. I got the chance to play with 24. He was always striving to be the greatest and win championships. It just seemed like he was at peace. He’d been through the wars early on, well documented, and it was finally his team. He was able to win two more championships and 2 Finals MVPs. Each player was very special. You look down the line, both numbers were very similar so it was just an honor to get the chance to play against no. 8 and play with 24.”
Which Kobe Bryant jersey was better: No. 8 or No. 24? 🐍@Matt_Barnes22: “No. 8 gave me a lot of buckets. No. 24 gave me a lot of buckets.” pic.twitter.com/LbstZXoPjC
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 8, 2022
For those who are having trouble remembering, Kobe donned No. 8 for the first half of his career. He became a star while wearing that number and also won three straight titles with Shaquille O’Neal. During this period, he was at his peak physically and athletically, always attacking the rim and using his strength/speed to his advantage.
Bryant ended up changing his number during the ’06-07 season for reasons that were mostly a mystery at the time. It wasn’t until later that we got the full story on the switch.
“It’s kind of a clean slate. I started new,” Bryant said. “Just start completely fresh, focus on the number that meant a lot to me. When I first came in at 8, is really trying to ‘plant your flag’ sort of thing. I got to prove that I belong here in this league. I’ve got to prove that I’m one of the best in this league. You’re going after them. It’s nonstop energy and aggressiveness and stuff.”
“Then 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 (via ESPN).”
Kobe definitely went through a metamorphosis when he became 24. Instead of being the young and explosive “sidekick,” Bryant played more reserved and took on more of an identity as a leader. He had a lot of success during this stretch, too, especially in the late 2010s, when he won back-to-back championships.
In a way, Bryant’s career can be split between his two jerseys numbers — but it doesn’t change much about how we should view his game overall.
The guy was special from start to finish, which is why the Lakers hung both 8 and 24 in the rafters.
