On December 18, 2017, Kobe Bryant becomes the first NBA player to have two jerseys retired.
Kobe was introduced to basketball at a very young age since his father played in the NBA. He attended high school in Philadelphia and received lots attention during junior and senior year. He averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists and led his high school to their first state title during his senior year. Basketball powerhouses such as Michigan, Duke, Villanova, and North Carolina were interested in recruiting him. He ultimately decided to enter the NBA draft directly after high school. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1996 NBA draft at the age of 17. He started with the number 8 jersey. The 8 represents his early success. He set the Rookie Game scoring record of 31 with that number. He won three championships back to back from 1999-2002. In 2008, Kobe changed his number to 24 in 2008. Michael Jordan is 23 so Kobe wanted to go one over him. With 24, the Lakers won the NBA championship in 2009 and 2010.
Kobe played his last game on April 13, 2016. He decided to retire that season because his body had suffered many injuries in the seasons prior and he decided he felt it was the right time. In his final game, the Lakers played Utah jazz. The Lakers won with a score of 101-96 and Kobe scored 60 points. He set the season-high for individual scoring and became the oldest player to score 60 or more points at the age of 37 years and 234 days old.
The Lakers retired his two jerseys at the game against the Golden State Warriors. Kobe is still regarded today as one of the greatest players of all time. The full video of the ceremony is linked here.
