Kobe Bryant’s pre-season debut jersey is now the 4th most expensive jersey! The 5x NBA champ had a legendary career, inspiring millions of people across different sports and nations. It’s barely a surprise that Bryant’s jerseys sell for millions at auctions now. There are still several rarely seen jerseys hidden at auction houses or private collections. And any gesture to acquire these valuable items is understandable. As a 7x NBA champ explains, he had a great reason.

The Lakers legend Bryant has both his jersey numbers retired. He is the only player in the league to have such an honor. Separating two distinct chapters of his life, Bryant decided to change his jersey from No. 8 to No. 24. He even shared the reason behind his decision. Now, both these numbers are very special to Bryant and his fans. No. 8 represents the early chapter of his life, and one of the jerseys with this number was acquired by his former teammate.

The way to acquire the jersey wasn’t seemingly noble, yet understandably right. During a recent segment of the Big Shot Bob podcast, Robert Horry boasted about the highly valuable collection of jerseys he has. One of the jerseys he is most proud to have is Bryant’s No. 8 jersey. Before sharing the reason behind securing the No. 8 jersey, he revealed the hilarious and tedious efforts to acquire it.

He clarified that he didn’t “steal” it.  “I don’t say stole, I just say I think I earned it, I just took it,” he said. “And that’s why I always became friends with the equipment manager, So they they would trust you and leave you in the equipment room by themselves,” he further added. 

Horry shared that this was the reason he is friends with the equipment manager. He might be joking about how he got his hands on the jersey, but he likely acquired the collection either by earning it or through other means. The reason why he held onto the No. 8 jersey is because he played during the initial years of Bryant’s career. This is also when Horry won championships playing alongside him.

Not just the No. 8, No. 24 Kobe also had a great impact on Horry’s life. During his latest appearance on the Sportsing podcast, the former NBA player shared how Bryant’s few words of faith in him influenced his kids to follow and listen to him. Just like those words, Bryant’s legacy is historic, too. But why did he switch to a different jersey number in the middle of his career?

Why did Kobe Bryant switch to 24? 

Both numbers represent different chapters of Kobe Bryant’s life. He wore No. 8 during the early years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. At that time, George McCloud had already claimed No. 24. As per ESPN, Bryant chose No. 8 based on his Adidas camp number, 143, which adds up to eight. It was also the number he wore when he played as a kid in Italy. 

“When I first came in at 8, it was trying to ‘plant your flag’ sort of thing. I’ve got to prove that I belong here in this league. I’ve got to prove that I’m one of the best in this league,” he said as per CBS.

Wearing No. 8, he won three NBA championships. Notably, his pre-season debut jersey, worn during that era, was sold for $7 million at Sotheby’s in New York. Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey ($24M), Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ jersey ($10.1M), and Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt ($9.3M) currently hold the top three most expensive jersey records.

As per sources, Bryant also wore the No. 8 jersey on his first NBA media day. From the 2006–07 season until his retirement, he switched to No. 24. “Then 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,” Kobe Bryant added.

There is also this myth that Kobe chose No.24, as he wanted to be one step ahead of Michael Jordan, who famously wore the No.23. This is similar to his obsession of winning the 6th NBA championship with the Lakers in the last years of his career, to equal MJ’s record. Although that didn’t happen, Kobe left behind an extension of his legacy in both the jersey numbers, and both hold equally deep significance for the fans.