NBA superstar Kobe Brant's jerseys will be taking their place alongside the greatest Lakers of all time. The Los Angeles Lakers tweeted that the team takes pride in honoring the basketball legend's illustrious career by retiring his two jersey numbers during a halftime ceremony in December.
The numbers eight and & 24 have accompanied Bryant in numerous showstopping games. Kobe Bryant has often been described in superlatives, from being the greatest in-game dunker in NBA history, to simply being the "greatest of all time."
Basketball buffs have described his moves as among the flashiest in the NBA league.
Bryant has also been noted to have the best defensive perimeter. Moreover, Kobe Bryant is known to lead and bond very well with his teammates.
An all-time favorite
The Lakers' announcement to retire Bryant's two numbers on the Lakers rafters at Staples Center was met by enthusiastic response from fans on social media. Kobe Bryant has legions of fans, and some of them expressed that he will always be their favorite. A basketball fanatic even tweeted that nobody should be even wear 8 or 24 in the entire League.
Bryant's eligibility to join the NBA Hall of Famers will not be until 2021, but the Lakers opted not to wait for that formality to include Kobe in their own exclusive club. The Los Angeles Lakers only retired the numbers of Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy,and Jerry West.
A cut above the rest
Bryant has stood out from the rest of the pack not only for his work ethic, but also for his drive, desire and motivation to be the best player he can be, thereby inspiring countless people who want to shoot hoops. As he himself said, when he is gone or retired, what he wants people to remember him for, or to live on, is how he approached the game of basketball.
Today, Kobe Bryant's NBA relevance is not about to diminish. He remains in the news, and has been linked to the decision of Kyrie Irving to request a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has put such rumors to rest.
These days, Bryant is enjoying time with his family while still basking in the adulation of the public. During a recent trip to Disneyland, his daughter Gianna mistakenly referred to a fan as rude when she heard her father being called a goat.
Bryant explained that it meant the Greatest Of All Time, prompting his daughter to thank the fan.
He plays basketball with kids occasionally. He has adjusted well to post-retirement life. Kobe Bryant first came to the NBA in 1996 as a pick of the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, he has emerged as a favorite of basketball players of all ages who have admired his game, attitude, and mentality.
