Which NBA legend wore the number 24 for the Los Angeles Lakers?

Kobe Bryant wore number 24 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant began his Lakers career wearing number 8, which he selected after playing at the Adidas ABCD camp in jersey number 143; adding those digits produced 8. He switched to number 24 at the start of the 2006–07 season. The new number was also significant because 24 had been his first high-school jersey number before he changed to 33.

Bryant wore 24 for the second half of his Lakers career, including the team's championship seasons in 2009 and 2010. He won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award in both of those title runs, cementing the number's association with one of basketball's most recognizable stars.

The common mix-up is that Bryant is closely linked to two Lakers numbers, not just one. In 2017, Los Angeles retired both number 8 and number 24 in his honor. He became the first player to have two jersey numbers retired by the same NBA franchise. Magic Johnson wore 32, Shaquille O'Neal wore 34, and LeBron James has worn 23 and 6 in the NBA.