What NBA Players Wore Number 8?
Many NBA players have worn the number 8 over the years. Some of the most notable include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. In this blog post, we take a look at some of the greatest players to ever wear the number 8.
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Kobe Bryant
8 is one of the most popular basketball numbers of all time. Many NBA superstars have donned the number 8 jersey including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. Let’s take a look at some of the best players to ever wear number 8.
Drafted by Charlotte Hornets
Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft. The Hornets then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, he played a limited role with the team. In his second season, he became a starter and helped lead the Lakers to the playoffs.
Traded to Los Angeles Lakers
On July 1, 1996, the Charlotte Hornets traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac. As part of the deal, the Lakers also agreed to swap first-round draft picks with the Hornets in 1998 and 2003. The trade came as a surprise to Bryant, who said he was caught off guard by the move.
Wore number 8 for the Lakers
Kobe Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
Bryant wore number 8 for much of his early career before switching to number 24 at the beginning of the 2006–07 season; he had previously worn both numbers while playing for Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. The switch was made as a tribute to Michael Jordan, who also wore number 23 for most of his career before switching to number 45 (the reverse of 54) late in his career with the Chicago Bulls; like Kobe, he made this change as a tribute to a deceased friend, distribution executive Harvey Gantt. Wilt Chamberlain also wore number 13 early in his career with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors before switching to 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers; this was done so that he could have rather than share jersey number 13 (which had already been retired by then-Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke in Chamberlain’s honor) with new Warriors teammate Nate Thurmond. Chamberlain did continue to wear 13 throughout his entire career whenever 14 was unavailable or retired by a particular team (such as when he briefly joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Lakers during the 1971–72 season), including during his return to Philadelphia near its end.
Magic Johnson
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and current president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Wore number 32 for the Lakers
Johnson was drafted first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season. He then won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play 32 games for the Lakers during the 1996–97 season, winning his fifth and final championship. After battles with substance abuse, Johnson announced a second retirement in 2000. He played and coached for two years each with the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association (1999–2000 and 2000–2002).
Wore number 8 for the Lakers
Johnson was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, and played high school basketball at Everett High School. He then attended Michigan State University, where he won a national championship in 1979 with the Spartans. After winning a gold medal in the Summer Olympics as a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, Johnson retired from the NBA in 1991. He played in nine NBA seasons, all with the Lakers, and holds numerous NBA records.
Johnson’s final game with the Lakers was on April 29, 1996. In what would be his last season in the league, Johnson averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range in 32 minutes per game over 48 games.
LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the most popular NBA players today. He is known for his skill on the basketball court as well as his fashion sense. LeBron is often seen sporting different styles and brands. He has also been known to switch up his hair style and color.
Wore number 23 for the Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He began his NBA career wearing number 23 but switched to number 6 in 2010. In 2014, he announced he would be returning to the Cavaliers wearing number 23.
Wore number 6 for the Miami Heat
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. During his high school years, he played for the St. Vincent-St. Mary’s high school basketball team, where he was highly touted as the next big thing in basketball. He did not disappoint, ultimately being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
After seven seasons with the Cavaliers, James made headlines when he decided to join forces with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Miami Heat. During his time with the Heat, James won two NBA Championships and was named Finals MVP both times. In 2012, he also earned a gold medal as a member of Team USA at the Summer Olympic Games in London.
Following four seasons back with the Cavaliers, James once again made headlines when he agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. He currently wears number 23 for the Lakers, but he will always be remembered for his time wearing number 6 for the Miami Heat.
Wore number 23 for the Lakers
From his earliest days as a Superstar, LeBron has carried with him the weight of massive expectations. He was hailed as the next big thing in Cleveland, and when he left for Miami, he was villified by many. He’s now back in Cleveland, and once again embracing the role of leader and champion. Throughout it all, he’s worn the number 23.
Other Notable NBA Players who Wore Number 8
There have been many great NBA players who have worn the number 8 on their jersey. Some of the most notable players include Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, and Steve Nash. These players have all had great careers and have made a significant impact on the game of basketball.
Clyde Drexler
Clyde “The Glide” Drexler is a retired American professional basketball player who was a 10-time NBA All-Star, and named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 as part of the Dream Team, which was the first American Olympic men’s basketball team to include professional players. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, winning back-to-back championships with Houston after his time with Portland.
Scottie Pippen
Pippen is one of the most decorated players in NBA history. He was a trailblazer for versatile forwards and is considered one of the best to ever play the game. During his time with the Bulls, Pippen won six NBA titles. He was also a seven-time All-Star and was named an All-Star MVP in 1994. Pippen was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Steve Nash
In 1996, the Phoenix Suns took a chance on a skinny Canadian point guard from Santa Clara University. That player was Steve Nash, who went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Nash was an immediate success in the NBA, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1997. He quickly became one of the best players in the league, making the All-Star team 8 times. Nash also won back-to-back MVP awards in 2004 and 2005.
In 2010, Nash was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He helped them to reach the NBA Finals in his first season with the team, but they lost to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers reached the Finals again in 2013, but this time they lost to the Miami Heat.
Nash retired from the NBA in 2015 after 19 seasons. He is currently 8th on the all-time assists list, and he is one of only 4 players in NBA history to average at least 10 assists per game for their career.
