The tributes to Kobe Bryant and his daughter continue to pour in, with NBA players speaking about Sunday’s tragedy on the air, on social media and more.
Those who wear No. 8 or 24 — both numbers that Bryant wore in his incredible career with the Los Angeles Lakers — have started thinking about whether they want to keep them to remember Bryant, or change them to honor the late superstar. It began on Tuesday with Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie changing No. 8 to 26.
This is a running list of players who have either changed their numbers, are considering a switch or who are keeping them, starting with Dinwiddie. We’ll keep updating this post as we hear more.
Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
He switched from 8 to 26.
Everything in life evolves. #26 🙏🏾
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) January 28, 2020
We often search for meaning in numbers. And yes you guys have caught a lot of the obvious reasons…
There’s one more tho, a person that I often speak about but hold private and most close to my heart.
Elijah + Spencer = 20 + 6
Honor your ppl, love you son 🤙🏾 https://t.co/pVT630bk0F
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) January 28, 2020
Quinn Cook, Los Angeles Lakers
The guard doesn’t wear 8 or 24, but he’s making a switch to honor both Bryant and his daughter with 28.
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
Alec Burks, Golden State Warriors
He’s going from 8 to 20, per a Yahoo report.
Golden State Warriors guard Alec Burks has worn jersey No. 8, but will switch to No. 20 to honor the tragic death of Kobe Bryant who wore No. 8 and No. 24, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 29, 2020
Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
He’s still deciding whether he wants to switch out of his No. 8
Kemba Walker shares he's thinking of retiring No. 8 in honor of Kobe but he also sees how he can also honor him by keeping the number pic.twitter.com/CC408lm2ZN
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 29, 2020
Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic
He’s going from 8 to No. 31.
Sources: Orlando’s Terrence Ross has changed his jersey number from No. 8 to No. 31 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, who wore Nos. 8 and 24. League evaluating this case-by-case. https://t.co/go557WBieX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2020
Zhaire Smith, Philadelphia 76ers
Smith, who wore No. 8 because it was Bryant’s first number, said Tuesday that he’ll wear No. 5 going forward. Smith wore a No. 7 jersey against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday because the team didn’t have time to get a No. 5 jersey ready.
Jahlil Okafor, New Orleans Pelicans
From that same ESPN report:
Okafor, who also wears No. 8, said Tuesday that he is working to switch his jersey number. He said he hopes to have a new number figured out by the end of the night.
Alize Johnson, Indiana Pacers
He says he’s going to continue to wear No. 24 unless he’s asked to change.
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
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