Welcome To The League
Many people regard Kobe Bryant as one of the most talented and successful players of the NBA. How did he earn this? Well, he was the first guard to ever be drafted straight out of high school. The LA Lakers saw his talent and took him right in at age 18 in the 1996 Draft. As a rookie, you can either rise to the occasion or break under the pressure. You might be surprised, but Kobe was the latter. During his first season, he struggled, finishing with a mere 7.6 points and 15 minutes per game. However, Kobe trained tirelessly, worked out more and made sure to improve his skill during the off-season. The 1997-98 season was a completely different ballgame for Kobe. His stats increased to 15.4 points and 26 minutes per game. From there, he only got better.
Welcome To The League
His Number Was Taken
Kobe started high school with the number 24 before he finished his last three years with the number 33. He wanted to keep the number 33 in the NBA as well, but it was already taken… By who? By none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! The League retired the number with Kareem’s retirement in 1989. When he entered the NBA, Kobe took the number 8, and it went on to be his number for his entire career. Here we can see the two together – they’re good friends to this day. In fact, Kobe has always looked up to the legend.
His Number Was Taken