PHOTOS: These NBA players changed numbers to honor Kobe Bryant

Few if any in sports history both embodied and embraced the mythology surrounding them quite like five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant did.

TERRENCE ROSS, ORLANDO MAGIC

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Change: No. 8 to No. 31 

While he went to high school in Portland, Ore., Ross was born in Long Beach, Calif. near Los Angeles.

The Orlando wing spoke about his memories of Bryant during a recent interview (via The Guardian):

“It was my rookie year. We played him in L.A. I didn’t play that game but it was kind of like a front seat to the Lakers show. He killed us, he killed us bad. He hit a couple threes in clutch moments, he dunked to take it into overtime so I was like, “This is like vintage Kobe. And I remember my mom was sitting courtside and she was looking me the whole time, like, ‘This is bad for ‘y’all’. But it was fun, I enjoyed it.”

Ross, who had only just switched to No. 8 before this season began, will once again sport No. 31 on the court.

After leaving his sneaker deal with Li-Ning in China, he started wearing the Nike Kobe AD Mid sneakers.