Kobe Bryant will switch to no. 24 jersey next season.

mzkhadir

Diamond Member
Mar 6, 2003
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Bryant will hang up his No. 8 jersey, sources sayBy Darren Rovell
ESPN.com
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Kobe Bryant's fans might have to buy another jersey next season. That's because multiple sources have told ESPN.com that Bryant will change his number to 24 next season.

Kobe Bryant
Shooting Guard
Los Angeles Lakers

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
80 35.4 5.3 4.5 .450 .850


Bryant began his career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa., wearing No. 24. But by 1996 -- the year he led the school to the state championship -- he had switched to No. 33, the number his father Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant wore in high school.

In order for a player to change jersey numbers at will, he either has to change teams or have the team inform the league of the decision more than six months in advance. Players who stay with the same team must have worn the same number for four seasons or longer. Sources say the Lakers informed the league of Bryant's wish to change his number by this year's March 3 deadline.

Calls placed to Bryant's agent Rob Pelinka and the Lakers were not immediately returned.

Over the past few months, Kobe Bryant's popularity has been on the rise again. His jersey was the fourth-best seller this season, up one spot from last year's position, according to sales at the NBA Store in Manhattan and on NBA.com.

When Bryant came into the league, he couldn't take the No. 33 because it had been retired seven years earlier by the Lakers in honor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Bryant arrived at the No. 8 for two reasons. It was the number he wore when he was a kid playing in Italy. It also tied into the number he wore at Adidas' ABCD Camp, 143. The numbers add up to 8.

Bryant's switch is the NBA's most significant jersey number change since the 1994-95 season, when Michael Jordan came out of retirement wearing the No. 45 for the final 22 games of the season. Jordan's No. 23 had been retired by the Bulls in his honor. For the next three seasons, Jordan went back to the No. 23.

League veteran Jim Jackson, who signed with the Lakers in March, now wears No. 24.

Six NBA teams have retired the number: the Boston Celtics (Sam Jones), Golden State Warriors (Rick Barry), Houston Rockets (Moses Malone), New York Knicks (Bill Bradley), Philadelphia 76ers (Bobby Jones) and Phoenix Suns (Tom Chambers).

Darren Rovell, who covers

 

sundev

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2004
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Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.
 

DivideBYZero

Lifer
May 18, 2001
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Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

In even more acurate news, I gave not one iota of a crap. ;)
 

sundev

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2004
1,092
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Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

In even more acurate news, I gave not one iota of a crap. ;)
In yet somehow even more accurate news, LOL! :D
 

slpaulson

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2000
4,412
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81
Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

In even more accurate news, Micheal Jordan didn't play for the Lakers...
 

boyRacer

Lifer
Oct 1, 2001
18,569
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Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

Not very accurate at all. :p
 

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Sigh... See this is what happens when you give a crazy white guy the MVP award 2 years straight. A white guy w/ a crazy supporting cast. BS I say, BS!
 

Ranger X

Lifer
Mar 18, 2000
11,218
1
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Originally posted by: cRazYdood
Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

In even more accurate news, Micheal Jordan didn't play for the Lakers...
He could have been a Laker, had the Lakers not chosen Sam Bowie over him in the draft. BEST DRAFT EVAR! :D
 

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
Originally posted by: Ranger X
Originally posted by: cRazYdood
Originally posted by: sundevb
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
In other news, the number 23 was heard to be dissapointed at being passed over.
In other more accurate news, number 23 was not worried at all about being chosen by Kobe Bryant as his new number since it has been long retired as MICHAEL JORDAN's number.

In even more accurate news, Micheal Jordan didn't play for the Lakers...
He could have been a Laker, had the Lakers not chosen Sam Bowie over him in the draft. BEST DRAFT EVAR! :D

You mean portland. Portland didn't draft jordan because they had drexler.
 

boyRacer

Lifer
Oct 1, 2001
18,569
0
0
Originally posted by: Powermoloch
so people who bought the "8" jersey are gonna be pissed up to the wazoooo!

I think it would be more of a collector's item if anything.