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.
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
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!
12 comments:
I will always associate uniform No. 24 with Walter Alston, one of only 10 retired uniforms for the Dodgers.
Tino!
It would have to be Jeff Gordon!
Old school: Willie Mays. New school: Miggy.
Rick Barry.
Mays, Griffey, Rickey, Miggy.
If each face had to be from a different sport:
Rickey, Kobe, Charles Woodson?, and Chris Chelios?
Griffey is the first MLB player I remember wearing number 24 is Griffey. As a Reds fan though, I also associate number 24 with Tony Perez.
Barry Bonds as a pirate wore 24, so my mind goes straight to mays, alston, griffey, and bonds. Swap Kobe in for alston and that's a pretty solid mt. Rushmore.
night owl - i think i just saw a memorabilia card with alston and a diecut 24 on it at the card show last weekend
the lost collector - during my research for this post, i saw his name and thought of you
sumomenkoman - i never knew you were a nascar guy. do you collect nascar cards?
the bucs stop here & sg488 - i was going to put together a list of honorable mentions and miggy and barry were both on it.
brian - both of those are solid mt. rushmores. rickey, woodson, and chelios were also part of my honorable mentions.
adam - perez was another guy on my honorable mentions list.
gcrl - as a bonds fan, i considered putting him in. but i ended up going with griffey because he wore 24 longer. bonds would definitely be on my mt. rushmore of guys who wore 25
Ricky Henderson would be my choice. Pure excellence. Some great cards over the years. I was very impressed by all the good works by Kobe. Helping the homeless among so many others things behind the scenes. Great example of pure decency
All fine choices...but I'll toss in the great Lenny Moore, one of the best to ever tie up a pair of cleats. And simply a prince of a guy.
Griffey, Rickey Henderson, Miguel Cabrera, and Mays if I am sticking with baseball. Outside of baseball, I would go with T.J. Warren who wore 24 at NC State, and won ACC Player of the Year his last year in college.
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