It's not often that a player changes a number on the same uniform. Kobe Bryant raised a few eye brows last year when he asked for the jersey change. But be it "8", "24" or "pie", it truly makes no differance. As it will never change the real numbers that define the hands down leading player of the NBA today:

- 3-time NBA Champion: '00, '01, '02
- 2-time Scoring Champion: '06,'07
- 9x consecutive NBA All-Star: '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07
- Has started in each All-Star appearances
- 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: '02, '07
- NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion: 1997
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997

NBA regular season leader in:

- points: 2003 (2,461), 2006 (2,832, 7th in NBA history), 2007 (2,430)
- points per game: 2006 (35.4, 9th in NBA history), 2007 (31.6)
- field goals attempted: 2006 (2,173), 2007 (1,757)
- field goals made: 2003 (868), 2006 (978), 2007 (813)
- free throws attempted: 2007 (768)
- 2nd most points in a Game: 81 (January 22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors)

Add up all these numbers along witth the sweat, passion, drive and years that earned them, you get the result of Stephen Holland's most recent release, Kobe 24.

Danny Stern
Laker Girl
Limelight Agency