When the league converges on Chicago for the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16, Kobe Bryant will be honored in both the actual game format and the uniforms.
Both teams — Team LeBron and Team Giannis — will wear either No. 24 or No. 2 during the All-Star Game as tribute to Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna after their deaths in a California helicopter crash. Gianna wore No. 2 while playing travel basketball for Mamba Sports Academy. Kobe wore No. 24 after switching from No. 8 in 2006.
With the league allowing the team captains, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, to pick the numbers for their respective teams, LeBron settled on No. 2 over the number of his close friend, Kobe. He explained his reasoning to reporters on Monday.
LeBron said that he chose No. 2 for his team because Gianna made him think about his own daughter, 5-year-old Zhuri James.
In addition to the jersey numbers, the league’s new All-Star Game format will include a 24-point Elam Ending fourth quarter for Bryant. It’ll work like this:
In the fourth quarter, each team’s running total score will return, and a game-winning target score will be calculated by adding 24 points – in tribute to Bryant – to the leading team’s score. If Team LeBron is leading Team Giannis by a score of 130-125 after three quarters, the winning team would be the first team to reach 154 points. Whichever team wins the game will win an additional $200,000 for its chosen charity.
