Dallas Mavericks will retire No. 24 to honor Kobe Bryant
Jan 26, 2020, 8:13 PM
Following the passing of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the Dallas Mavericks announced that nobody in the organization would wear the No. 24 again.
“Kobe’s legacy transcends basketball, and our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick,” Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said in a statement.
Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban issued the following statement on the passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. pic.twitter.com/Ua41YrvTMZ
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 27, 2020
The Lakers retired both of Bryant’s numbers on Dec. 18. 2017, at the Staples Center. He’s the only player in franchise history to have two numbers retired, No. 8 and No. 24.
Cuban’s tribute came after multiple NBA teams, including the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies, paid tribute to Bryant at the start of the game.
RELATED STORIES
The Grizzlies won the opening tip and immediately took a 24-second clock violation. When the Suns took possession, they stayed in the backcourt for an 8-second violation – the 24 and 8 seconds representing Bryant’s two numbers during his NBA career.
Bryant was among nine people, including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, that died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday.
The helicopter was headed to his daughter’s travel basketball game when it went down.
Bryant is the Lakers franchise leader in points (33,643), games played (1,346), 3-pointers (1,827), steals (1,944) and free throws (8,378).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
