Kanye West dropped a reference to the No. 24 jersey in his lyrics, rapping on Jay-Z and T.I.’s “Swagga Like Us,” “Tryin’ to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.”
From the moment he came into the league, Bryant paid homage to the greats who came before him. Now it’s current NBA players who pay tribute to him.
Zach LaVine, then with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is one of the many players in the NBA who wear No. 8 or No. 24 in honor of Bryant.
Just like he switched numbers, Bryant also switched sneaker brands. Though he’s best known for his iconic Nikes, he started his career in Adidas.
Though Bryant retired in 2016, his Nike sneaker line kept going and has remained the most popular among active NBA players.