Paul George will wear a new number with the Sixers — and it’s a tribute to Kobe Bryant
George’s No. 13 is retired in Philly, so the new Sixer will honor the late NBA star by changing his jersey number to 8.
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Paul George will rock No. 8 for the first time in his career with the 76ers, and he’s honoring one of Philadelphia’s all-time greats — Kobe Bryant.
Since 2015, George has worn No. 13, keeping it from his time with the Pacers to Oklahoma City and most recently with the Clippers. But the Sixers retired No. 13 years ago to honor Wilt Chamberlain, so George needed to pick something new. Before choosing 13, George wore 24, which is retired at his alma mater, Fresno State, in his honor. But the Sixers retired No. 24, too, for Bobby Jones. So back to the drawing board.
Ultimately, George picked No. 8, which he revealed on Monday’s episode of his Podcast P Show.
“I had to do it. C’mon, man, I’m in Philly.” George said on his podcast. “My idol, the ‘Bean’ Kobe Bryant. My way of idolizing Kobe, and something that meant something outside of 24 and 13. It was only right. It’s different. I like the 8, the 8 looks good on me.”
Bryant was born in Philadelphia and starred at Lower Merion High School before being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and subsequently traded to the Lakers. He wore both Nos. 8 and 24 during his NBA career while winning five titles for Los Angeles. Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in January 2020 when the helicopter they were in crashed in Calabasas, Calif.
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George also considered a few alternate number options, including No. 14, for his 3-year-old son.
“My son can’t say 13, so he says 14, but then that number just don’t look right,” George said. “I wore 25 a little bit in high school, but I didn’t love it in high school, so I wasn’t going to wear that again. I also wore, I believe, 31 my freshman year in high school, but 31 don’t look right with me. I kept going down the line, and I’m like, 8, it’s only fitting.”
Ultimately, the idea of paying tribute to Bryant won out.
“It’s good to have those moments, when you look at that jersey, like ‘This is who I’m putting it on for,’” George said. “I wanted that moment, being able to hold myself accountable … 8 is a special number.”