NBA Hall Of Famer Gets Real About Why Kobe Bryant Changed Jersey Number

Shandel Richardson | Dec 31, 2024

Jan 6, 2009; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Lakers 102-91. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The late Kobe Bryant wore No. 8 the first 10 seasons of his career.

Then he suddenly changed it to No. 24 during the 2006-07 season. At the time, Bryant said it was to show a sign of growth and maturity.

Fellow Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett has a different theory.

"People don't even know what the 24 stands for," Garnett said during a conversation posted with Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce. "People don't even understand that, that was a sign to everybody that he was a step above 23 if y'all even got that."

Kevin Garnett gets real on why Kobe wore...

Posted by Basketball Brotherhood on Monday, December 30, 2024

The 23 is reference to the jersey number worn by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Garnett feels Bryant was saying he was one better than Jordan, who is widely considered the greatest player in NBA history.

It makes sense because that's how competitive Bryant was before he was killed in a helicopter accident in 2020.

"And that was a shot at Mike," Garnett said. "Straight up, [it was like], `I'm better than you. It really stood on it. If you look at every goal or every record that Mike Jordan has had, Kobe chased it. Mike used to talk that [crap] about 69 [points] and you can't do this now. I'm trying to tell you. Go do the science. All you young cats that like Kobe, go do all the work. Go do all the research and the science about Kobe."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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