No player will ever wear number 24 again for the Dallas Mavericks.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban announced late Sunday that the team would retire the number after former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash. (RELATED: NBA Legend Kobe Bryant Dies In Helicopter Crash)
You can read his full statement on the decision below.
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks announce they will permanently retire number 24. Incredible. pic.twitter.com/7lUkGHnnaG
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 27, 2020
This is an incredibly classy gesture from the Mavericks organization. I feel like it’s been said a million times at this point, but I’ll say it again.
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Kobe’s death has sent shockwaves through the world of basketball in a way I’m not sure we’ve ever seen before.
Everybody dies, but we never expect legends to die at the young age of 41. That’s not supposed to happen. NBA legends aren’t supposed to die in helicopter crashes on a casual Sunday.
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The fact the Mavericks, a team Kobe obviously never played for, is retiring his number just goes to show the kind of impact he had on the sport.
Other teams are retiring his jersey! Stop and think for a second how crazy that is. I wouldn’t be surprised if more teams follow this move from Mark Cuban.
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It’s an all-class gesture. Well done, Cuban. Well done.