Bryant’s Jerseys Immortalized

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on Monday had the honor of having his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys retired by the club.

The historic moment came at half-time in his former side’s game against the current NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, who lead 57-53 at that time, Marca reported.

However, Monday’s game mattered little as the packed crowd had largely arrived to see Bryant immortalized forever.

The 39-year-old won three NBA titles when he wore the No. 8 jersey and two championships with the No. 24, representing Los Angeles for the entirety of his professional career.

In an emotional ceremony, Bryant was accompanied by his wife and children, although the absence of former coach Phil Jackson, who was in charge of him for all five title wins, was highlighted.

The legendary Magic Johnson, now president of basketball operations at the Lakers, paid tribute to him too, insisting that the Philadelphia native was one of a kind.

“We are here to honor the greatest player in the history of the purple and gold franchise; there will never be another Kobe Bryant,” said Johnson.”I hope that you have recorded each game because we will never see someone like Kobe again.”

Both numbers he wore perfectly divide Bryant’s career up into two equally successful sections, having notched 16,777 points with the No. 8 on his back and 16,866 with the No. 24.

Even Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his players came out to acknowledge the moment and applaud Bryant as his numbers were hoisted onto the roof of the Staples Center, never to be worn again.

Bryant is the 10th player with a retired jersey for the 16-time NBA champion Lakers. His numbers were revealed high on the Staples Center wall.