Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
“In high school I started out with number 24. Then I went to number 33 later on. 33 was the number my father wore in high school, so I just switched it to carry on the lineage.”
When Bryant jumped from Lower Merion High School to the professional ranks joining the Lakers, Bryant did not even have the opportunity to select number 33. That number was already previously retired after being worn by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kobe chose the number 8 because his uniform number as a high schooler at the ADIDAS ABCD Camp was 143 (1+4+3=8), but the number switch was easy. “I wore the number 8 when I was a kid playing in the Italian leagues, so it was a smooth transition from number 33.”