There’s no question, when Kobe Bryant’s Retirement tour comes to an end, his number will be hung from the Lakers’ rafters. The only question is, which number? Bryant wore number 8 from his rookie year(1996-97) until the 2005-06 season, when he switched to the number 24 that he still wears today. Kobe achieved great success in each of those jerseys; he won 3 championships with number 8 and 2 more with number 24. So which do the Lakers retire? Maybe both. Via The LA Times’ Eric Pincus:
“I don’t know the answer. Obviously it’s going to be 8, 24 or it could be both,” said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak at a season ticket holder event Sunday.
Kupchak went on to speak about the relationship between this season and Bryant’s legacy, saying:
“We cannot move on as a team until Kobe leaves,” said Kupchak. “Part of that to me is painful because I’ve been here 20 years with Kobe.
“This is a year that’s dedicated to Kobe and his farewell,” he continued. “From my point of view it gives me complete clarity. … We know what our [salary] cap situation is going to be like.”
That mindset explains why the 37 year old point guard shooting 34.1% from the field is playing over 30 minutes a game. It’s all in good fun, though. The Lakers are trying to tank this year anyhow, so why not let Kobe play 30 minutes? It might stunt the growth of the rookies a bit, which could potentially be a downside, but the Kobe farewell tour will make the fans happier than anything else could.
