Mount Rushmore of Twenty-Four

According to Vocabulary.com, a "legend" is a larger-than-life story that gets passed down from one generation to the next.  Like Rosa Parks, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, and Abraham Lincoln... Kobe Bryant will be talked about for generations.  He'll go down in history as a legendary human being.

A person didn't need to be a basketball fan to know how dominant he was on the basketball court.  And after watching televisions interviews with guys like Jimmy Kimmel, it was obvious how much his wife and daughters meant to him.  But after listening and watching tributes about the footprint he left on teammates, coaches, and fans... I started realizing just how larger-than-life The Black Mamba really is.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Kobe's name will continue to live on for generations or at least as long as the sport remains popular among fans.

Today I thought I'd honor him and three other legendary athletes who donned #24 either on a jersey or their vehicle for a significant amount of time during their careers.

1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #17

Let's get things started with one of the greatest baseball players of all-time:  Willie Mays.  The Say Hey Kid played his final game just after I turned one, so I never got to see him play in person.  But that's the thing about being a legend.  You don't have to see them play in person to know how great they were.

1994 Super Nintendo #SNS-JR-USA

Next up is another legendary centerfielder:  Ken Griffey Jr.  If you collected cards in the 90's, then you remember the impact he had on our hobby during that decade.  The decade he wore #24 for the Seattle Mariners.

1997 Fleer Ultra Shoney's #4

Switching gears... the third spot on this sports card Mount Rushmore is reserved for Jeff Gordon.  I'm pretty sure I've never watched a single NASCAR race.  Sure... I've watched ESPN highlight reels and a few YouTube videos, but I've never sat down and watched an entire race.  Yet I can close my eyes and picture Gordon's famous rainbow Du Pont car with #24 painted on the sides.  Why?  It's because he's a legend.

And finally, I'll wrap things up with the guy who inspired this post:

2006-07 Finest Green Refractor #25

One of my former students reached out to me yesterday and we talked a bit about Kobe.  She's not a basketball fan, but she mentioned how his death was on the same level as Michael Jackson and Princess Diana.  A guy on the radio this morning mentioned the same thing and personally, I totally agree.

People die every day.  Some hit closer to home than others.  Kobe's is one of those that will stick with me until the day that my number is called.

Okay it's your turn...

Who would make your Mount Rushmore of athletes who once donned the #24?

Happy Saturday and sayonara!