"My way of idolizing Kobe" - Paul George breaks silence on choosing No. 8 with Philadelphia 76ers
Superstar forward Paul George is entering his next NBA chapter with a new team in the Philadelphia 76ers, and he'll do so with a new jersey number donned across his chest. The nine-time All-Star will rock No. 8 for the Sixers, a decision he carefully made with his idol, Kobe "Bean" Bryant in mind.
"I'm in Philly ... my idol ... the Bean, it's my way of idolizing Kobe, and something that meant something outside of 24, 13 ... it was only right," he said in a preview clip of the next episode of his "Podcast P with Paul George" tweeted on Sunday.
The full episode of his podcast releases at 9 a.m. EST on Monday.
Process of elimination led him to Kobe's No. 8
Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia and played high school basketball there before leaping into the NBA with the LA Lakers at 17 years old.
George also wore Bryant's other jersey number, No. 24, when he first entered the league with the Indiana Pacers. His other former number, No. 13, is retired by the Sixers in honor of NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, who played in Philadelphia from 1965-1968 and won a championship with the team in 1967.
"It did take a minute," George said about his decision to wear No. 8. "I was going through all the numbers, what makes sense, what looks good, what I'll be comfortable in ... I like the No. 8."
George said he thought about his kids when making the choice, but ultimately went with his gut over a decision made by one of his two girls or his son.
"I went with 14, because my son can't say 13, but that number just didn't look right," he said.
He didn't trust his younger daughters to pick a good number, either.
"They would have shouted out, 'Wear 39!' or 'Wear 47!'" he joked.
An idol turned mentor
Kobe Bryant was an idol for millions of players outside of George, and his death in 2020 in a helicopter crash spurred players, fans and teams to honor him in a variety of ways.
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star over 20 seasons with the LA Lakers, winning the championship five times and the NBA MVP award in 2007-08. He scored 25.0 points per game over his career, most of which came from the midrange with a jump shot and footwork that many have tried to replicate.
George's reputation as a defender and smooth midrange player has often drawn comparisons to Bryant, and George said he's fortunate to have been mentored by him before his death.
In March 2023, he shared one story on his podcast of how Bryant inspired him to chase the All-Star Game single-game scoring record in 2016. He finished with 41 points, one shy of Wilt Chamberlain's record of 42 in 1962. PG's 41 is tied with Russell Westbrook (2017) in sixth place. Jayson Tatum holds the mark with 55 points in 2023.
"This is who I'm putting it on for," George said about his jersey selection. "I wanted that moment, to be able to hold myself accountable. No. 8 is a special number, man."