单选题 After 10 seasons wearing the No. 8 on his back, Kobe Bryant will become No. 24 next season. The reason for the surprising decision by the Los Angeles Lakers super guard last week has become a hot topic for debate.
Bryant wore No. 24 when he was in early high school, but he changed to No. 33 in his senior year. He switched to No. 8 when he was selected by the Lakers in 1996, and has not been changed since.
Bryant has refused to explain the decision until the end of the play-offs (季后赛). So guessing Bryant"s motive has become a popular game among NBA fans and newspaper columnists (专栏作家).
There are all kinds of speculations. Many say that Bryant wants to leave the past behind and have a fresh start. He has often been criticized for playing to benefit himself and not the team as a whole. Others say that he may he trying to compare himself to Michael Jordan. Jordan was famous for his No. 23 jersey (运动衫). Some, such as NBC Sport columnist Michael Ventre, argue that it is "all about money". Bryant will make more money by selling new jerseys to his fans.
Some speculations are more about fun. For example, there is an opinion that Kobe is actually just a diehard (非常执着的) fan of the popular TV drama "24".
All this talk has turned the number change into a major issue. It seems that there is a lot of fuss (大惊小怪) over something that should be pretty simple.
Jersey numbers have their own special significance in American sports, especially basketball. Players choose their number when they join a team and they usually stick with that number for the rest of their career. When a great player retires, his team will honor him by retiring his number.
To some extent, the jersey is the player, and the player is the jersey. Thus, when you see the famous No. 23 for the Chicago Bulls, you immediately think about Michael Jordan. A No. 32 Miami Heats jersey recalls the image of Shaquille O"Neal, and the Houston Rockets" No. 11 belongs only to Yao Ming.
Lots of stories are behind players" jersey number selections. Jordan said that he chose No. 23 because it was roughly half of 45. Jordan"s elder brother wore the No. 45 in college. Yao Ming once revealed that the No. 11 stands for two people in love—meaning him and his girlfriend Ye Li.