<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Updated: April 26, 2006, 11:30 AM ET Bryant will hang up his No. 8 jersey, sources sayBy Darren Rovell ESPN.com 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. Which number would you like to see Kobe Bryant wear next season? 8 24 Don't care either way 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). </div> Sasha is also changing his number to 8, he now is known as SV8
Read this article last night, I'm pretty pissed, I think it's stupid. I think he's trying to be one up on Jordan, after all, 24 > 23 okay, i'm kidding, but I'm really not down with this. But oh well, what can we do.
I don't like it, I have a strange suspicion that Kobe wouldn't play the same.... I read this today on my cellular and was in shock. Chances are this will happen, because this news is pretty random.
I don't want him to change it. #8 is Kobe. It would just be weird and take a while to get to used #24.
Don`t like the change at all. I mean when you think 8 and the NBA Kobe comes to mind. It`s just his number.
Do you guys know any reason for his sudden change. I really dont like the fact that he's changing his # to 24. Look what happen with Jordan. He didn't play too well as 45. Eventhough he's hyping up next year with his new jersey, I think 8 fits him best.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Noooooooo if you want to change your number, change it to 81.</div> Nah he wouldn't do that. It would make him look really cocky.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting YourNewChef:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't like it, I have a strange suspicion that Kobe wouldn't play the same.... I read this today on my cellular and was in shock. Chances are this will happen, because this news is pretty random.</div> exactly what i was thinking. i think if he changes his number, it wil start the "downfall" of his career. i dont like it and i think its stupid
If this is just a marketing ploy to sell more jerseys than that's pretty cheap but i think it might have to do with him trying to restart his career or something. Maybe the #8 represents the rape case or the laker dynasty collapse and he's trying to re-start with 24. kobe... i guess jimmy jackson will be changing numbers as well.
Kobe: " I have 24 seconds to live " I really dont care what number he wears. As long as it's not 90 (Drew Gooden) or 93 (Artest).
Number 8 represents a warrior. It represents his comeback from grace. It represents 3 championships, it represents one of the greatest 1-2 punches in history, it represents one of the greatest franchises in history, it represents record after record smashed, it represents Kobe Bryant.
