Man, I gotta tell you guys about this rabbit hole I went down the other day. It all started with a simple question: why did Kobe wear 24? I mean, we all know he was number 8 for a while, right? So, what gives?
First, I hit up the usual spots, you know, just browsing around to see what I could dig up. I saw some stuff about his high school number being 33, but that was already taken by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he got to the Lakers. Makes sense, gotta respect the legends. Anyway, another source said his original high school number was 24, but some dude named George McCloud already had that when Kobe joined the team. So, 8 it was, at first.
Then I found this other piece of the puzzle. It mentioned that Kobe switched to 24 in the 2006-07 season. That got me thinking, why then? What was special about that time? I kept digging.
I stumbled upon this cool tidbit: the Lakers retired both of Kobe’s numbers, 8 and 24, back in 2017. But here’s the kicker: he won three championships wearing number 8, and two wearing number 24. It’s like, two different chapters of his career, each with its own number.
And then I landed on this really touching part of the story. I saw that February 8th, 2024, was being called 2/8/24. Get it? It’s got both of Kobe’s numbers, plus his daughter Gianna’s number 2. She was also on that helicopter. I’m not gonna lie, that got me a little choked up.
So, after piecing all this together, here’s my take: Kobe started with 8 because he couldn’t get his high school number. But later on, he switched to 24, maybe to start fresh, to mark a new era in his career. And with that number, he added two more championships to his legacy.
Here’s what I found from my searching:
- When Kobe joined the Lakers, he couldn’t use his original high school number 24.
- Number 33, another of his high school numbers, was already retired for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- Kobe’s numbers, 8 and 24, were both retired in December 2017.
- Kobe was the MVP in the 2007-08 season when he wore number 24.
- The date 2/8/24 is significant because it includes Kobe’s numbers and his daughter Gianna’s number.
It’s more than just a number, you know? It’s about his journey, his growth, and the legacy he built. It is a story in itself. That’s why Kobe wore 24, I guess. It is a part of his legend.
