Kobe to change numbers next season?

[HowBoutThemFins]

24-Not even a basketball number, who wears 24?

You mean aside from Bobby Jones (retired, 76ers), Moses Malone (retired - Rockets), Bill Bradley (retired, Knicks) and Rick Barry (retired, Warriors)? Or do you mean current players... like Richard Jefferson, Marvin Williams, Donyell Marshall, Andre Miller, Antonio McDyess, Morris Peterson or Desmond Mason? (That's off the top of my head, there's gotta be a couple of benchwarmers I missed, and I don't even like the NBA.)

Good point, though...

don't forget jason kapono!

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Did his dad wear number 24?

Pops wore 23 ...

[nsentv]

Stupid.

Your number is your number. You change your number at the end of your career, when you leave for another team (see Ewing, Malone, et al). In your prime? Hell no.

(Interestingly, I seem to remember a situation where Stern forbade Rodman from wearing number 69--but that's really neither here nor there).

[Frylock]

Switching his number at this point is just ridiculous...part of a player's identity is in his uniform number. It's just plain strange to switch it now.

Agreed.

[VitaminD]

Did his dad wear number 24?

23, IIRC. [Vandydelph beat me to it...] I've seen Kobe in an M&N throwback of his dad's 76ers jersey, and it was a #23. Dad wore 8 when he played in Italy.

[Roger Clemente]

...then switched again to #91 to honor Dennis Rodman for the 2004-05 season...

Looks like it honored it well.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[scraw28]

Maybe he is wearing it to honor the room number when he was in Eagle, Colorado

[Tazz013]

That's such crap. Who the hell's going to remember him as #24? No one. I don't think it'll last, right Michael Jordan's #45 jersey? Right!

I still remember Jordan wearing #12 and #4.

[FiddySicks]

Maybe he is wearing it to honor the room number when he was in Eagle, Colorado

ZING!!!

[swilson160]

That's such crap. Who the hell's going to remember him as #24? No one. I don't think it'll last, right Michael Jordan's #45 jersey? Right!

I still remember Jordan wearing #12 and #4.

I remember 12, but when did he wear 4? Unless the 5 fell off his 45 jersey...

[sj32]

I think I heard on ESPN that 24 was Kobe's first number in High School.

[sacker12]

That's such crap. Who the hell's going to remember him as #24? No one. I don't think it'll last, right Michael Jordan's #45 jersey? Right!

I still remember Jordan wearing #12 and #4.

I remember 12, but when did he wear 4? Unless the 5 fell off his 45 jersey...

Yeah, I heard of him having to wear 12 for a few games when his regular 23 jersey was lost.

[lucky]

That's such crap. Who the hell's going to remember him as #24? No one.

Come on. He's 27 years old so he might play for 10 more years. I'd say that's plenty of time to make the number memorable to lots of people.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Did his dad wear number 24?

23, IIRC. [Vandydelph beat me to it...] I've seen Kobe in an M&N throwback of his dad's 76ers jersey, and it was a #23. Dad wore 8 when he played in Italy.

The Sports Illustrated of two weeks ago said Kobe wore 8 because of Mike D'Antoni, who was playing in Italy while Kobe was a kid.

From 1980 to 1996 or so, only the numbers 23, 33, and 34 (Jordan, Bird and every good center, and Magic) really stood out. Nowadays, we've got 0, 1, 3, 15, 21, and 23 (again) representing some the best players in the NBA, and I don't even need to tell you the players associted with those numbers. 8 used to be on that list for sure, but I guess Kobe is as Kobe does.

That's too bad. I'm one of the few people who actually like Kobe.

[Hat Boy]

Nowadays, we've got 0, 1, 3, 15, 21, and 23 (again) representing some the best players in the NBA...

Fo number "0", are you talking about Eric Montross or Olden Polynice?

[ColeJ]

Did his dad wear number 24?

23, IIRC. [Vandydelph beat me to it...] I've seen Kobe in an M&N throwback of his dad's 76ers jersey, and it was a #23. Dad wore 8 when he played in Italy.

The Sports Illustrated of two weeks ago said Kobe wore 8 because of Mike D'Antoni, who was playing in Italy while Kobe was a kid.

From 1980 to 1996 or so, only the numbers 23, 33, and 34 (Jordan, Bird and every good center, and Magic) really stood out. Nowadays, we've got 0, 1, 3, 15, 21, and 23 (again) representing some the best players in the NBA, and I don't even need to tell you the players associted with those numbers. 8 used to be on that list for sure, but I guess Kobe is as Kobe does.

That's too bad. I'm one of the few people who actually like Kobe.

magic wore 32.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

magic wore 32.

Right. Thanks. But I think the point stands, doesn't it?

[CubsFanBudMan]

One more question: If this is in fact true, when Kobe retires, do the Lakers retire #8 or #24, or both (assuming his number gets retired)?

Excellent question. I'd assume they'd retire #8 and not #24. He won his championships in #8, got his popularity in #8, became a star in #8. Switching his number at this point is just ridiculous. Stick with #8 and live with it. Part of a player's identity is in his uniform number. It's just plain strange to switch it now.

They'll retire No. 8, because he'll switch back once Nick Anderson says "24 isn't as good as 8" and the Lakers get eliminated from next year's playoffs.

Bryant has patterned everything after Michael Jordan, and this is no different. Maybe he should wait to switch to 24 until after he's one up in titles to Jordan. Good luck, Kobe.

And No. 0? Yes, you don't have to say a word. "Jeff McInnis" says it all.

I think the real reason Kobe is switching is to follow in the footsteps of the great Henry Blanco, who switched from No. 9 to No. 24 midway through last season and was on fire from then on (for Blanco anyway).

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I guess I'm the only Gilbert Arenas fan in the whole world.

[yh]

All I can say is those damned Jeff Gordon fans have gotten to Kobe.