After previously wearing no. 8 with the Washington Wizards in honor of idol Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has switched his jersey number to no. 28.
According to Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss, who was making an appearance on Stephen A. Smiths podcast Know Mercy, Hachimura did so in order to honor Kobe and his daughter, Gianna:
“Our new player, Hachimura,” Buss starts. “I asked him, ‘Have you chosen a number yet?’”
He said, ‘Yeah, I’m wearing No. 28.’
I said, ‘Oh great!’ and he said, ‘Because of No. 2 for Gianna and No. 8 for Kobe.’”
“I was like, ‘This kid is going to do good.’ I like where his heart is at.”
Gianna Bryant, one of the victims in the tragic crash that claimed the lives of nine innocent people, wore no. 2 as her basketball jersey number.
While the fact that the Lakers have retired no. 8 in honor of Kobe is ultimately the reason for the change, it's nice to know that a longtime fan in Hachimura wants to continue to pay homage to the Black Mamba and that he was thoughtful enough to value Gianna – appropriately called “Mambacita” – in his decision-making process as well.
It's been three years since the incomprehensible passing Kobe, who was not only one of the league's most iconic stars but a global ambassador for the NBA and a staunch support of women's sports. However, his memory will live on forever. Especially if basketball players around the world continue to find ways to pay homage to his greatness.
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