Lakers Retire Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 Jerseys

The ceremony took place during halftime of matchup with Golden State Warriors.

Kobe Bryant
Magic Johnson, Jeanie Buss, Kobe Bryant, wife Vaness Bryant and daughters Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant, Bianka Bella Bryant and Rob Pelinka pose for a picture during Kobe Bryant's jersey retirement ceremony. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers honored franchise all-star Kobe Bryant by retiring his jerseys, No. 8 and No. 24, on Monday night, during a 116-114 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors. The ceremony took place during halftime, and Bryant was joined by his wife and three daughters. The stadium was in full Kobe-Tribute mode, with Kobe video tributes, signs, shirts, chants, and more, as they raised his jerseys to the rafters. “We’re here to celebrate the greatest who has ever worn the purple and gold,” said Lakers president Magic Johnson according to The Daily Beast. “For 20 years, you thrilled us and made us scratch our heads and say, ‘What we did we just see? What did we just witness?’ … There will never, ever be another Kobe Bryant.” Bryant himself thanked the Lakers, his wife, basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and ended with a brief message to his daughters, telling him “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

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