Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest Laker of all time. No other player has ever had two jerseys retired by the same team. His explosive career at Los Angeles can as such be divided into two notable stages. The young Bryant wore number 8 when he entered the big game as a Laker, ready to learn and to perform. As his career solidified into one of the greatest in the NBA, Bryant chose at one point to don number 24 going ahead.

Interestingly, according to a fellow NBA veteran, Bryant’s decision to go with number 24 was a statement about his career made in his own way – and a ‘shot’ at Michael Jordan!

Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett gave his opinion on why Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from 8 to 24 in a recent interview. Making things even more interesting, the reason that the legendary forward and center offered seemed to echo the words of rapper Kanye West, who suggests virtually the same scenario in a song of his.

What Kanye West said about Michael Jordan

Kevin Garnett starts by saying, “People don’t even know what the 24 stand for. People don’t even understand that was a sign to everybody that he was a step above 23. If y’all even got that. That was a shot at Mike. Straight up.”

It seems as if Garnett was somehow agreeing with Kanye West. In the song Swagga Like Us, West raps, “Trying to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.” He seemingly refers to Bryant trying to (literally) one-up the Chicago Bulls legend.

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Garnett continues to explain the one-upmanship that is seemingly alleged by Kanye West too, “That I’m better than you and he really stood on it. If you look at every goal or every record that Mike Jordan has had, Kob chased it.”  Remarkably, Bryant also wore one number ahead of Michael Jordan, who wore number 9 for USA, when he chose to wear number 10 for the Olympic team.

However, such a reading of Kobe Bryant’s shift to number 24 does seem to go against the relationship that the two legends had. Bryant and Michael Jordan shared an almost brotherly friendship when the two played in the league together. Bryant would often reach out to MJ to help him work on his game early in his career, which started a mentor-mentee sort of relationship that gradually developed into the close bond they shared.

Kobe Bryant’s words on Michael Jordan

In Michael Jordan’s documentary The Last Dance, Bryant confirmed that he too looked up to ‘His Airness’. The Lakers legend also used to convey his regard for Jordan when fans would tell him that he could beat Jordan in a one-on-one.

Speaking about his response to such claims, Bryant says in an interview part of the documentary, “Yo, what you get from me – is from him.” Despite his well-known competitiveness, the five-time NBA champion always sought Michael Jordan for the role of a big brother – and Michael Jordan definitely held a special place for Bryant in his heart.

Why Did Michael Jordan Call Kobe Bryant His Little Brother?

Given their relationship, are Kevin Garnett and Kanye West reading too much into the shift to jersey number 24?

The real reason why Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number

Kobe Bryant has himself explained what the reasons were to choose numbers 8 and 24 as his jersey numbers in the NBA. He started off with 8 because his jersey number in the Adidas camp was 143. The numerals add up to 8 and it became his first jersey number.

However, the reason he chose number 24 in the latter half of his career was something entirely different from what is evidently being interpreted by observers. According to CBS Sports, Bryant explained, “24 is a growth from that. Physical attributes aren’t there the way they used to be, but the maturity level is greater…Marriage, kids. Start having a broader perspective being one of the older guys on the team now, as opposed to being the youngest. Things evolve…”

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Still, we would like to hear fans’ takes on the matter. Is Kevin Garnett right in claiming that Kobe Bryant chose number 24 to jump over Michael Jordan?

Let us know what you think in a comment below!