Kobe Bryant essentially had two Hall of Fame careers. One wears the No. 8 jersey and the other wears the No. 24 jersey. Bryant had such an incredible career with both numbers that the Lakers retired both of his jerseys.
Kobe Bryant’s 5 Best Moments 🏀
Today is the birthday of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant, who sadly passed away from us 7 months ago. Here are some of the best performances of the Black Mamba’s career. Which one is your favorite?#kobebryant #nba #black Mamba pic.twitter.com/QmPTXBYdz7— Bitividi (@bitividi) August 23, 2020
NBA legend Kevin Garnett thinks Kobe Bryant Change jersey number from 8 to 24 to lead Michael JordanThe iconic number 23.
“People don’t even know what 24 stands for, people don’t even understand that it’s a sign to everyone that he’s further than 23… That was a shot at Mike, straight up like n—I” You are strong. “Garnett explained on an episode of SHOWTIME basketball show KG Certified.
“…Everything is to catch up with MJ, disappear MJ, surpass MJ, this is what 24 hours is all about.”
In his book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” Bryant explained that he studied his first game against Jordan and concluded that his defense was terrible because his balance was off.
“Thankfully, I actually saw this photo in 1998. After studying it, I corrected my posture and balance. Since then, it has become very difficult to counter me in the low post,” Bryant wrote.
Kobe was never afraid of Jordan, even before his first game against Jordan.
“I was getting ready to face Jordan for the first time. I had a teammate, and he came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you want some advice? Whatever you do, don’t look him (Jordan) in the eyes.”
Wait, sorry? Why on earth can’t I look him in the eye? I don’t think my teammates understand that I feel the same way. You can’t look me in the fucking eyes, man,” Kobe said in the 2015 Showtime/CBS Sports documentary “Kobe Bryant’s Muse.”
Kobe, like Jordan, was fearless no matter who he faced. Jordan taught Kobe to never back down from a challenge, even if the odds were stacked against him, which helped him always be ready to take on his opponents, including his idol Jordan.
It’s easy to see how Jordan’s accomplishments affected Kobe’s mentality. Jordan won a total of 11 championships and never lost:
- NCAA Tournament: 1-0
- Olympic gold medal game: 2-0
- FIBA Gold Medal Game: 2-0
- NBA Finals: 6-0
Jordan remains the only player in league history to win NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards.
