According to Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks are retiring jersey number 24 in honor of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant. Bryant — and eight others, including his second-oldest daughter — died in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles Sunday morning.
Dallas Mavericks to Honor Kobe Bryant Via Jersey Retirement
Honoring Kobe Bryant
According to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the organization will honor Bryant by retiring his jersey. Though he never played for the team, the move will likely set a trend.
“Our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick,” Cuban said Sunday night.
Full Mavericks statement: pic.twitter.com/sooacPoZPc
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 27, 2020
In an objectively classy move, the Mavericks may have set the precedent for several other organizations if not the entire NBA. In the wake of Bryant’s shocking, untimely death, there are bound to be numerous measures taken to honor the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
After the news broke, several teams took 8- or 24-second violations to open their respective games in honor of Bryant, who wore both numbers in his illustrious career. Though the Mavericks are the first to honor Bryant officially as an organization, it seems very likely other teams will follow in their footsteps.
More than a Game
When news broke, the world stopped. He was not just a legend on the court, but a global basketball icon. The outpouring of emotion in the wake of his death has been both heartbreaking and beautiful.
In a divided world, NBA fans across the world were able to come together for a day of mourning. All team alliances and fandoms fell to the wayside in order to honor one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball.
Kudos to the Mavericks for being the first to honor Bryant. His legacy will live on forever throughout the NBA world.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
