Monday, June 21, 2010

Should Kobe Have Both His Numbers Retired?


With all of this discussion among fans and talking heads about Kobe Bryant's legacy and his place amongst the great of the NBA, it got me thinking about the simpler spoils. Like, when the Lakers retire Bryant's jersey ... will it be No. 8 or No. 24?

Or both.

There's a case to have both numbers retired.

NUMBER 8 (1996-2006): Kobe won the first three of his NBA Championships while wearing this number. He also accomplished the most amazing individual feat I've ever seen when he dumped 81 points on the Raptors. He also finished off his career with that number with a 35.4 ppg average in 2006; one of the highest scoring averages anyone has had over the last four decades.

NUMBER 24 (2006-present): He's won two titles so far with this number. He also transitioned from athletic marvel to smartest basketball player during this time. While he had already won three titles before, these were title teams he was the leader of. He won two NBA Finals MVP awards. In the four years he's had this number, they've been to the Finals three times.

Statistic-wise, having No. 8 retired makes the most sense. Most of his jaw dropping feats happened during these years. But the Kobe we'll remember the most after he retires will be the current one. The Assassin. The Black Mamba. The greatest player of his time.

They'll probably only retire No. 24 since that's the number he will leave off with. Still, there's a case to be made for both.

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