[Shams] Multiple NBA players have begun informally retiring Kobe Bryant’s jersey number(s) as a tribute

[Forte IV]

I like the gesture but I also like when guys wear a number to honor someone they looked up to. I guess it ultimately comes down to the player themselves, but I would hate for a guy to be pressured to give up the number.

[GameOver25]

I hate teams retiring numbers. Where does it end?

Teams definitely shouldn't be doing it en masse and I hate that Cuban has set a precedent.

That's before we get into the fact Kobe isn't even a GOAT candidate and the sexual assault issue. We are setting the bar very low, regardless of the tragic circumstances.

[flavio_93]

Dumb idea If it’s not allowed league wide. Maybe some players want to wear that number to honor him?

[AussieRules]

It will be nice for players to still be able to wear his number as a tribute to him

[picc]

People should do whatever makes them feel like they are honoring him. Whatever that is.

[AussieCeltic]

I have no problem hanging a players jersey in the rafters but retiring numbers seems to go against the point it's intended to create. What better way to honour someone then having them wear the same jersey? If a player in 20 years from now wore the 24 in purple and gold, wouldn't that bring back great memories of Kobe everytime you saw it?

[ILikeLollies]

Keep the man's memory alive by wearing his number.

[Amare_1_Knicks]

I’m for it. Seeing the role that Kobe played in everyone’s lives, it seems like there’s no gesture too grand when it comes to honoring him and his legacy.

[JB2]

I hate teams retiring numbers. Where does it end?

Teams definitely shouldn't be doing it en masse and I hate that Cuban has set a precedent.

That's before we get into the fact Kobe isn't even a GOAT candidate and the sexual assault issue. We are setting the bar very low, regardless of the tragic circumstances.

Generally retiring numbers ends at retiring numbers.

[Chris Porter's Hair]

Damn the Celtics really do have a TON of retired numbers...
https://www.nba.com/celtics/history/retired-numbers

Lakers now do as well. They retire HOF caliber players, but they only had 5 up there for years. I remember there being scuttlebutt about whether Worthy was...worthy to go up there. Sure, only an idiot would deny James Worthy a retired number, but I still recall the chatter. Now they got 8/24, 13, 22, 25, 32, 33, 34, 42, 44, 52. Not a lot of good numbers left. Eddie Jones started out wearing 25 but had to change to 6 when they retired Gail Goodrich's 25. The 6 and 8 in Lakers font looked similar and I remember more than one ref being confused so they had to modify the 6 to relieve the situation. Believe it or not, they didn't actually retire Wilt, Baylor, and West until 1983. It never occurred to them to do it earlier. There was a guy on the 83 squad named Dwight Jones who wore 13 (proof at link). That might've hinted to Dr. Buss, "Hey, maybe a journeyman shouldn't be wearing Wilt Chamberlain's number..." Samaki Walker also wore 52 (Jamaal Wilkes) before it was retired. Eech.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1983.html

And a lot of Laker fans think Michael Cooper's 21 deserves to be up there. Whole career with Lakers, integral defender and off guard and one of the earliest 3 pt shooting types.

Sure this will eventually be a problem, but isn't this overstating things a bit? Even if you stick by conventions most jersey numbers use (single digits, or double digits without digits above 5), you still have
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 35, 40, 41, 43, 45, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55

That's 30ish possibilities for 12-15 players, without even considering that lots of players wear numbers that don't fit those rules.

I don't want to see people's numbers retired gratuitously, but even the Lakers aren't really anywhere near running out of "good" numbers.

[Sublime187]

I hate teams retiring numbers. Where does it end?

Teams definitely shouldn't be doing it en masse and I hate that Cuban has set a precedent.

That's before we get into the fact Kobe isn't even a GOAT candidate and the sexual assault issue. We are setting the bar very low, regardless of the tragic circumstances.

Keep your fork tongue behind your teeth!

[jirrit]

He meant a lot to the game but I don't see a reason to retire his number league wide, just because he died early/tragically? Everyone dies, in the end. This won't be a popular opinion but it contains reason, IMO, totally not hating just being rational.

[Flash Falcon X]

Warriors retired #24 for Rick Barry but #8 could still be informally retired.

[HangTime]

Player should wear 16.

It's half way between both of Kobe's numbers

And it's also what you get when add the numbers for key a pad (5+6+2+3)

[slamilcarBarca]

i prefer this informal, player driven approach. not a big fan of retired numbers for any reason.

hope other teams do not follow cuban's example. seemed like the reaction of a 15 year old emotionally, so right on par for cubes i guess.

[StartingBench]

I dont agree with all teams retiring his number. Using his number is a tribute to him. Just as everyone else that wears 23.

[jpengland]

I hate teams retiring numbers. Where does it end?

Teams definitely shouldn't be doing it en masse and I hate that Cuban has set a precedent.

That's before we get into the fact Kobe isn't even a GOAT candidate and the sexual assault issue. We are setting the bar very low, regardless of the tragic circumstances.

Generally retiring numbers ends at retiring numbers.

10, 20, 30 years from now, if it continues in a similar vein, you will have teams struggling to field rosters of players with 2 digits.

Put jerseys in rafters, put up statues, name stadiums, bars or sections. But retiring numbers, nope. Especially not numbers for players from other teams.

[Lava Rock Kid]

So stupid. Wearing his number is an honor.
I also think the Mavericks retiring Kobe’s number is stupid. Kobe was one of the best all time. But in Dallas should he be considered equal to Dirk for what he did in Dallas. No way. Don’t retire other teams players. That is reserved for key players in your organization.

[Infinite Llamas]

I have no problem hanging a players jersey in the rafters but retiring numbers seems to go against the point it's intended to create. What better way to honour someone then having them wear the same jersey? If a player in 20 years from now wore the 24 in purple and gold, wouldn't that bring back great memories of Kobe everytime you saw it?

I don’t know...if Brad Wanamaker would wear #34 I’d probably have an episode every time I saw him play. If Scalabrine has wore #33 it’d make me throw up in my mouth.

I understand the sentiment. There is a legacy to the number. Let’s say Crittenden had taken Magic’s number and it’s easy to see how the number can be stained to some extent.

[Infinite Llamas]

Always thought it was kind of cool how Miami retired Jordan’s number. Seemed like a nice novelty thing. Not sure how I’d feel if every team did it though...