April 26, 200619 yr 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. 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). Why change it now? A few months ago he wanted to convert and become Jewish now this. Is he going through a mid-life crisis. This guy is too weird.
April 27, 200619 yr it's pretty obvious what he's trying to say with #24...think about it: 23+1=24 what an arrogant prick
April 27, 200619 yr it's pretty obvious what he's trying to say with #24...think about it: 23+1=24 what an arrogant prick LMAO I actually heard this nonsense on sports talk radio.
April 27, 200619 yr it's pretty obvious what he's trying to say with #24...think about it: 23+1=24 what an arrogant prick LMAO I actually heard this nonsense on sports talk radio. It's very possible that was his intention, but he didn't think anyone would notice... I could definitely see him doing something like that.  I mean come on....it's one number higher than MJ. If he's trying to change his life around and get a new image--how much of a coincidence to choose 'that' number.
April 27, 200619 yr he probably just did it to up his jersey sales for next year What would he gain from that?
April 27, 200619 yr I love Deadspin's take on it. Granted it's Deadspin so it's most likely not true. [Michael] Jordan is set to release the latest incarnation in his signature series…it happens to be the Jordan XXIII, many have speculated for some time that it would be fitting for this to be the end of the series. The hype is already out of control on the release (next year’s all star game) in the sneakerhead community (don’t judge me, i wear dunks). Now that Kobe’s image has been rehabilitated to a proper extent, Nike is looking to cash in on the investment they made. Get ready for the KOBE 24. Basically Kobe is going to pick up where MJ left off, in fact the releases may sync up perfectly. Expect the 24 to be the first in a signature line of Kobe shoes…but what’s the logo gonna be. I’m entirely confident in this presumption. It explains the new #24 but more importantly it explains why they made a change.
April 27, 200619 yr I love Deadspin's take on it. Granted it's Deadspin so it's most likely not true. [Michael] Jordan is set to release the latest incarnation in his signature series?it happens to be the Jordan XXIII, many have speculated for some time that it would be fitting for this to be the end of the series. The hype is already out of control on the release (next year?s all star game) in the sneakerhead community (don?t judge me, i wear dunks). Now that Kobe?s image has been rehabilitated to a proper extent, Nike is looking to cash in on the investment they made. Get ready for the KOBE 24. Basically Kobe is going to pick up where MJ left off, in fact the releases may sync up perfectly. Expect the 24 to be the first in a signature line of Kobe shoes?but what?s the logo gonna be. I?m entirely confident in this presumption. It explains the new #24 but more importantly it explains why they made a change. I'm going to puke.
April 27, 200619 yr Just found this at the bottom of that Deadspin quote. (UPDATE: A shoe rep emails us: ??Close but no cigar on the Kobe/Jordan/ Nike theory. We?re only on Jordan XXI right now. XXII comes out next year. XXIII comes out in two years. ))
April 27, 200619 yr stupid policy regarding changing numbers. a player should be able to do that whenever he wants. he should stick with 8 though
April 28, 200619 yr stupid policy regarding changing numbers. a player should be able to do that whenever he wants. he should stick with 8 though So you'd be ok with a guy going from number to number...game to game?
April 28, 200619 yr stupid policy regarding changing numbers. a player should be able to do that whenever he wants. he should stick with 8 though So you'd be ok with a guy going from number to number...game to game? to my knowledge, no other league has a rule on numbers and players arent switching every game
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