Kobe Bryant left the NBA in 2016, but his legacy still stands tall in the league.
Multiple players grew up idolizing him, and they continue to make decisions based on their love for him.
That was the case with Paul George, who recently decided to switch to No. 8 out of love and respect for the Philadelphia native.
It only made sense, as he’s now going to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Notably, Jayson Tatum has taken the very same approach, this time with Team USA.
Tatum has decided to don the No. 10 jersey whenever he suits up for Team USA, as opposed to his usual No. 0.
When asked about that, he revealed that it was to honor Kobe, who also wore No. 10 when he played for the national team (via Arash Markazi & NBA Central).
Jayson Tatum speaks about wearing No. 10 for Team USA, just like his idol Kobe Bryant did
(
@ArashMarkazi )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 8, 2024
Notably, Kobe also chose to wear No. 10 to honor a fellow legendary athlete.
Known for being a diehard soccer fan, Kobe claimed that he wanted to pay tribute to Lionel Messi.
That’s the ultimate compliment for any sportshead, especially coming from one of the fiercest competitors and hardest-working people to ever walk the face of the Earth.
Tatum is a diehard Kobe fan, and they even got to work out together while he was still among us.
And while it will never seem right that he left us all too early, it’ll always be heartwarming to see his impact and blueprint anywhere you look around the league.
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