Since the news broke regarding the passing of NBA great Kobe Bryant, the basketball world has been filled with tributes to the Black Mamba.
As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, numerous players are honoring Kobe Bryant by changing their jersey number. Those changing their number include Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Detroit Pistons forward Markieff Morris.
Sources: Multiple NBA players have begun informally retiring Kobe Bryant’s jersey number(s) as a tribute — with Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie among them, changing from No. 8 to No. 26.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2020
Pistons’ Markieff Morris will change from No. 8 to No. 88 in honor of Kobe Bryant, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA.
— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) January 29, 2020
Everything in life evolves. #26 ??
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) January 28, 2020
The first organization to announce its intention to retire one of Kobe’s numbers following the tragedy was the Dallas Mavericks, with owner Mark Cuban declaring that no Maverick would ever wear the number 24 ever again.
Another player who will change his jersey number is Los Angeles Lakers guard Quinn Cook, who currently wears #2, the number worn by Kobe’s daughter Gianna, who also tragically perished in Sunday’s crash. Cook will change his number to 28, as a way to combine their numbers.
Lakers guard Quinn Cook is changing his number from No. 2 to No. 28 to honor Gianna Bryant, combining Gigi's No. 2 and Kobe's No. 8, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 29, 2020
One player who has announced that he will continue to wear the #24 is Indiana Pacers forward Alize Johnson, who released a statement detailing his connection with Kobe Bryant, but has stated he will switch if asked to by the Pacers organization.
I wear 24 because Kobe was a role model growing up. I plan to continue to wear 24 as a tribute of the great respect I will always have for him. No one has asked me to change but if I’m asked I will without hesitation https://t.co/oY5Xo44zQA
— Alize Johnson (@AlizeJohnson) January 28, 2020
