Why did Kobe Bryant change his jersey number from 8 to 24? A breakdown of his legacy with both numbers

There’s no doubt that Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. For two decades, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to countless playoff berths and 5 NBA Championships in 7 trips to the NBA Finals.

Throughout his career, Kobe accepted no failure. He couldn’t take a loss and demanded nothing but greatness from him and his peers, and that’s one of the main reasons why he was such an impactful character around the league.

More impressively, you could literally divide Kobe‘s remarkable career in two. One wearing number 8 and one wearing 24. Notably, he put together Hall of Fame-worthy résumés with both of them, and that’s why the Lakers decided to retire both in 2017.

But, why did Kobe change his number in the first place? Some argue that he wanted to prove that he was better than Michael Jordan (23+1), others said that it stood for ‘3 rings as 8’ (3×8 = 24) although none of those theories were ever confirmed.

Kobe Bryant Changed From 8 To 24 To Begin A ‘Clean Slate’

Back in 2017 before his jersey retirement ceremony, Kobe opened up to ESPN to finally reveal what prompted that abrupt change, stating that it had more to do with leaving stuff behind and getting a fresh start:

“When I first came in at 8, (it was) 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,” Kobe started.

“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. It’s not to say one is better than the other or one’s a better way to be. It’s just growth,” he claimed.

To put it into context, Kobe changed jerseys to begin the 2006-07 season. He had already been in the league for a decade and was a bonafide star, but he was coming off getting overa rape allegation, his relationship with the franchise was on the verge of disaster, and his feud with Shaquille O’Neal had stained his image. Changing to 24 was a way to leave that all behind him.

Kobe Bryant With 8 Vs. Kobe Bryant With 24

Kobe played for 20 seasons and had almost the same kind of numbers with both jerseys. He spent 10 years with each and was able to amass the glory and different kinds of accolades with both of his numbers.

Accolades And Stats With Number 8:

+ Slam Dunk Champion
+ All-Rookie
+ All-Star Game MVP x1
+ All-NBA x8
+ All-Defense x6
+ Scoring Title x1
+ NBA Championships x3
+16,866 Points
+3,634 Rebounds
+3,148 Assists
+1,059 Steals
+431 Blocks
+Career-high 81 points (2nd-most ever)

Accolades And Stats With Number 24:

+ All-Star Game MVP x3
+ All-NBA x7
+ All-Defense x6
+ Scoring Title x1
+ MVP x1
+ NBA Championships x2
+ NBA Finals MVP x2
+ 16,777 Points
+3,413 Rebounds
+3,158 Assists
+885 Steals
+209 Blocks
+61 Points in the Madison Square Garden (most ever by a rival)

Those insane numbers are a true testament to the greatness of a player that changed the course of basketball history forever and whose legacy went far beyond the court. Rest in Power, legend. Mamba Forever.