Kobe Bryant On How #8 And #24 Were Two Different People
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Kobe Bryant On How #8 And #24 Were Two Different People
It’s already been one-and-a-half years since Kobe Bryant’s last NBA game.
Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers will retire both of Kobe Bryant’s numbers during a halftime ceremony. He will become the first player in history, to have two different numbers retired by the same team. But then again, he might have been two different people after all.
For a long time, Bryant was one of the most hated players in all of American sports. His success is extraordinary, his achievements prolific. Fans seemed to despise the “Black Mamba” because of his killer instinct and ability to torch every team he faces.
But after his final season—full of memories, throwback performances, and a retirement tour—people have seemingly gained a certain level of respect for Bryant. They say you only realize how great or valuable something or someone was until it’s gone. Kobe Bryant devoted 20 years of his life to the Los Angeles Lakers and would surely love to re-live them. He even won five championships in the process. On April 13, 2016, Kobe Bryant drained his 37-year old body for the millions of fans watching the final performance of his iconic career.
Now, Kobe Bryant, in an interview with Complex, said that he basically has been two different people during his NBA career. Number Eight, and number Twenty-Four.
“It’s crystal clear to me because it’s almost two different people in a sense. Of having a certain mentality of coming into the league where you’re literally head-hunting everyone. Right? Because it’s your time to establish yourself and say, ‘No, I belong here.’ As a result, everybody must go. Then when you hit a certain maturity level, which is where 24 is, it becomes less about your self-domination, it becomes ‘How can I help others grow?’ How can I lead a group of guys to get to a certain level as a group? And that’s a really big distinction.”
Kobe breaks down the difference between No. 8 and No. 24 pic.twitter.com/c2ylBs9spS
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) November 6, 2017
