This is the latest post for an ongoing media project — SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number and highlight an athlete — person, place or thing — most obviously connected to it by fame and fortune, someone who isn’t so obvious, and then take a deeper dive into the most interesting story tied to it. It’s a combination of star power, achievement, longevity, notoriety, and, above all, what makes that athlete so Southern California. Quirkiness and notoriety factor in. And it should open itself to more discussion and debate — which is what sports is best at doing.
The most obvious choices for No. 24:
= Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers
= Walter Alston: Los Angeles Dodgers
= Freeman McNeil: UCLA football
= Dwayne Polee,Manual Arts High basketball
The not-so-obvious choices for No. 24:
= Marion Morrison: USC football
The most interesting story for No. 24:
Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers guard (2006-07 to 2015-16), also wearing No. 8 (1996-97 to 2005-06)
Southern California map pinpoints:
Long Beach, Los Angeles (Staples Center), Newport Beach, Thousand Oaks
Momba murals, we have come to calling them. Brilliantly splashed across the sides of hotels, restaurants, pawn shops and abandoned warehouses.
They provide varied interpretation and a longing for artists inspired to creatively honor Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. They have become as much as the city’s fabric and context as much as a place to reflect and ponder “what if” as well as what was.
They are at best coping mechanism for those who designed them an expression of grief mixed with tribute. They should be numbered and catalogued as if part of a unique SoCal art gallery.
Websites dedicated to these works claim, as one says, to finding nearly 350 renditions just in the greater Los Angeles area.
There are more than 450 in the U.S.
Another 175 are around the globe.
The L.A. Times has tried to post the best of them, including updates with works that have lately popped up on Venice Beach.
In some of the depictions, Kobe Bryant wears No. 24. In others, No. 8. Often it’s both.
If something ever happens to these works, there are people who come to the rescue, saving them from getting painted over. One Lakers star put up $5,000 to help restore a mural on the side of a T-shirt shop on Main and 14th street in downtown L.A. after a graffiti artist did a number on it for some reason.
Bryant with his 13-year daughter, Gianna, sometimes wearing her No. 2 jersey, are forever linked after a helicopter crash in January of 2020 in the hills of Calabasas that took them both and seven more friends. They were on their way from in Newport Beach to a day’s worth of basketball games at what was then called the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks. It was on a wistfully foggy Sunday morning after Bryant went to church.
The tragic event created the prodigious hashtag “GirlDad.”
Southern California already had what it called a “Mamba Day” on August 24 of each year – 08.24, also the day after what was his birthday. On Aug. 2, 2024 – or 08.02.24 in numerical language – a statue was unveiled at Crypto.com Arena/Staples Center honoring the dad and daughter.
When writer Sam Amick of The Athletic went to visit it on the fifth anniversary of their death, he wrote that it was “is both awe-inspiring and awful. … It’s a powerful and worthy piece of art …One can feel the affection they shared. An angel’s wings envelops them both from behind, a painful reminder to visitors that they are no longer with us.”
While Bryant wore No. 8 as an 18 year old coming into the league, and kept it for 10 seasons wearing a head of hair and goatee, he switched to No. 24 for his last 10 seasons ending in 2016. Bald and clean. Dad-like. The Lakers decided to retire them both.
We are led to believe Bryant took No. 8 because he wore it growing up in Italy. And at the Adidas ABCD Camp, he had No. 143, three numbers add up to 8 if you’re that advanced. As the 13th overall pick out of high school in 1996, by Charlotte, Lakers GM Jerry West had already orchestrated a trade for him to Los Angeles. On the Lakers’ roster at the time was George McCloud wearing No. 24, so Bryant said he didn’t feel he had the juice to ask for it as he originally envisioned.
Eventually, Bryant supposedly switched to 24 because, after Shaquille O’Neal left the organization, he wanted a new start, a “clean slate” as he said. “Just start completely fresh, focus on the number that meant a lot to me.”
Also consider: Bryant went through the national spotlight of a rape allegations in 2003. He wasn’t able to get the Lakers moving anywhere near the top like O’Neal did in ’05 and ’06. Bryant was in damage control and a branding crisis.
“When I first came in at 8, is really trying to ‘plant your flag’ sort of thing,” he once told ESPN. “I got to prove that I belong here in this league. I’ve got to prove that I’m one of the best in this league. You’re going after them. It’s nonstop energy and aggressiveness and stuff.
“Then 24 is a growth from that. Physical attributes aren’t there the way they used to be, but the maturity level is greater. Marriage, kids. Start having a broader perspective being one of the older guys on the team now, as opposed to being the youngest. Things evolve. It’s not to say one is better than the other or one’s a better way to be. It’s just growth.
“It’s a new book, 24 — 24 is every day. Because when you get older, your muscles start getting sore. Body starts aching. You show up to practice that day, you have to remind yourself, ‘OK, this day is the most important day. I got to push through this soreness. My ankles are tight, they won’t get loose. I got to go through it, because this is the most important day.’ So, 24 also helped me from a motivational standpoint.”
None of that is actually covered much in a three-part CNN documentary released in early 2025 called “Kobe: The Making of a Legend.” Maybe because there are too many other elements of his life that better define him. And why his existence became so important to sports fans, as well as the community at large.c
As pointed out, Bryant scored almost the same number of points wearing No. 8 (16,777) as when he wore No. 24 (16,886). He won an NBA scoring title in each number. Three of his five NBA titles with the Lakers came wearing No. 8, as well as eight All-Star appearances. And his 81-point game.
His lone NBA MVP award came as No. 24, as well as 10 All-Star appearances, and it is what he wore in the season he was most significant for him – 2012-13 when the team added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, he ruptured his Achilles, and was never the same again.
“If you separated each of the accomplishments under those numbers,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said on the night both were raised to the rafters at Staples Center, “each of those players would qualify for the Hall of Fame.”
From winning an Academy Award for his “Dear Basketball” media project, to establishing the youth academy, writing children’s books, coaching his daughters’ basketball teams, to another new mural to a song … name anything else you choose. Bryant’s mind and artistic talents were working overtime once he was done performing for the Lakers.
Bryant 8. Great.
Bryant 24. Forever.
We have the murals around town to remind us every day.
Who else wore N0. 24 in SoCal sports history?
Make a case for:
Walter Alston, Los Angeles Dodgers manager (1958 to 1976):
On his list for MLB.com of the “Best Dodgers players by uniform,” writer Ken Gurnick picks Augie Galan of the Brooklyn era, a two-time All Star from 1941 to ’46, even though “the number is synonymous with manager Walter Alston.” Galan doesn’t fit our definition of Southern Cal personality, and Baseball Hall of Famer Alston has his number retired by the franchise. Alston, whose only appearance in an MLB game was for the St. Louis’ Cardinals in 1936 (one at-bat, one strikeout), won four World Series for the the Dodgers (’55, ’59, ’63 and ’65), seven National League pennants and 2,040 regular-season victories for the franchise spanning 23 seasons going back to Brooklyn in 1954. His teams in ’62 and ’74 won 102 games. But as far as we recall, no kid wore a Dodgers’ No. 24 jersey. Never. Ever. Or even a parent. Even if his nickname was “Smokey.”
Freeman McNeil, UCLA football running back (1977 to 1980):
The Banning High of Wilmington standout racked up 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns in his four years at UCLA to set a school record. That led to him becoming the NFL’s third overall pick in ’80 by the New York Jets, where he stayed with No. 24. A 1992 UCLA Hall of Fame inductee, McNeil was actually an offensive guard at Compton Centennial High when Banning coach Chris Ferragamo brought him in and moved him to tailback at 6-feet and 190 pounds. Two years later, McNeil led the state in scoring with 162 points and broke the L.A. City section record with 27 rushing touchdowns, leading Banning to the first of six L.A. City Section 4A titles in a row. He rushed for 1,343 yards on 165 carries at Banning, named the L.A. City Player of the Year, State Player of the Year and Mr. Football USA to the top player in the country.
Kermit Washington, Los Angeles Lakers forward (1973-74 to 1977-78):
The lede of his eventual obituary will include how he was remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977, breaking his jaw and nose. He was fined $10,000 and suspended 60 games. It is covered in a 2003 John Feinstein book, “The Punch: One Night, Two Lives and the Fight that Changed Basketball Forever.”
Keith Erickson, Los Angeles Lakers forward (1968-69 to 1972-73):
After a multi-sport career at UCLA that included playing for the basketball, volleyball and baseball team (and wearing No. 53), Erickson ended up in the NBA based on the fact it paid the best — and he was the 21st overall pick in the 1965 draft by the San Francisco Warriors. A 12-year pro career that included stops in Chicago and Phoenix included the seven seasons with the Lakers, including their 1972 NBA title squad although he was injured most of the season. His top Lakers season came 1970-71 as he was fifth in scoring (11.3 a game), third in rebounds and fourth in assists. Upon his NBA retirement in 1977, he moved into the analyst chair in ’79 with the Lakers’ legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn and stayed there for eight seasons which, to some, is how Erickson was most identified and remembered in Southern California.
Dwayne Polee, Manual Arts High (1978 to 1981):
California’s Mr. Basketball as a 6-foot-5 senior topped his 32.1 points-a-game average by scoring memorable 43 points — 17 of 20 shooting from the floor — in his team’s 82-69 win over Crenshaw in the L.A. City title game at the Sports Arena before more than 14,000 spectators. “His stats were crazy,” said coach Reggie Morris said. “He didn’t miss a shot in the second half. He’s the leading scorer in the state and the first thing he does in the opening minute is take a charge. He was going to do everything to win the game.” Morris says people still talk about the event: “They say, ‘I was at the Game.’ That’s how the game has been referred to. ‘The Game’.” At Pepperdine (wearing No. 32) he was twice the West Coast Player of the Year in 1985 and ’86 during his three seasons there and inducted into the 2024 WCC Hall of Honor. The Los Angeles Clippers took him in the third round of the ’86 NBA Draft and he made into one game (wearing No. 12). Polee would be a coach at his alma mater and helped out at USC in an administrative role. His son, Dwayne Jr., was the L.A. City Player of the Year at Westchester High and a star at San Diego State.
Jason Kapono, UCLA basketball guard (1999-2000 to 2002-03):
The Lakewood High star earned entrance into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 to honor the fact he was the school’s third all-time leading scorer, a first-team All-Pac 12 selection every single year he played and Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the Year in 2000. He led the team to three-straight Sweet 16 appearances from 2000 to 2002. He is also the No. 2 all-time 3-point shooter for the program, a career 44.6% shooter from beyond the arc. He took No. 24 into the NBA with Cleveland first, then wore No. 28 with the Lakers in his last of nine NBA seasons, playing in 27 games in 2011-12.
Pooh Richardson, UCLA basketball guard (1985-86 to 1988-89); Los Angeles Clippers guard (1994-95 to 1998-99):
A 2003 inductee into the UCLA Athletic Hall, Richardson (first name, Jerome) was All-Pac-10 three consecutive seasons after he was picked the Bruins’ most valuable freshman in 1986. Richardson ended his career at as the school’s leader in assists, steals, three-point field goal percentage and minutes played. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the 10th overall pick but he spent five of his 10 NBA seasons with the Clippers (first wearing No. 2, because Terry Dehere was wearing No. 24 — then switching to the No. 24 he had in college as well as with the Timberwolves and Pacers for his final two seasons).
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Camarillo High basketball (2015-16 to 2018-19); UCLA basketball (2019-20 to 2022-23): The 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard was the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior when he averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds a game for the 31-6 Bruins who finished No. 7 in the polls. He had his Camarillo High No. 24 jerseyretired in 2025 in recognition of being first-team All-CIF Southern Section and scoring 2,653 points in his career, including a school-record 54-point game. His surprise success in the NBA with the Miami Heat, who picked him 18th overall in 2023 — the first UCLA senior picked that high since 2009.
Bob Myers, UCLA men’s basketball (1993-94 to 1996-97): The 6-foot-7 athlete from Northern California was going to walk-on at UCLA’s crew team, but was convinced to come try out for basketball by coach Steve Lavin. In his four seasons — starting just four games as a senior in 76 contests, he averaged only 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds, but he was part of the NCAA ’94-’95 national title team. After trying to serve as a UCLA radio analyst and as a sports agent, and getting a law degree from Loyola Law School, he was hired by the Golden State Warriors as an assistant general manager as an apprentice role. But he was promoted to GM in less than a year, and became the NBA Executive of the Year in 2015 and 2017 as the Warriors won the NBA title those seasons plus in 2018 and 2022 with Myers as president of basketball operations. Leaving in 2023, Myers became a special consultant to the NFL’s Washington Commanders and was on the Board of Regents for the University of California.
Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels pitcher (2010 to 2012): The 6-foot-5 righthander born in Monterey Park, a standout at Bishop Amat High in La Puente and then off to Pepperdine University in Malibu, Haren became a three-time All Star over three straight seasons in Oakland and Arizona before the Angels picked him up in a mid-season trade to strengthen their rotation. His 2011 season saw him lead the AL (again) with 34 starts to go with a 16-10 record and 3.17 ERA to garnish some Cy Young votes. His free-agent journey afterward saw him spent one year with the Dodgers (wearing No. 14) in 2014.
Have you heard this story:
Marion Morrison, USC football (1926) via Glendale High:
“Duke” Morrison appears in the 1925 Glendale High School yearbook as the senior class president as well as a starting but undistinguished guard on the football team, a 170-pounder who at least gave it a go. Enough to where he earned a scholarship to play football at USC and was a member of the undefeated Trojans freshman team. That got Morrison eventually promoted to varsity by coach Howard Jones.
A story in the San Mateo Times lists Morrison among the up and coming tackles on that ’26 team that finished 8-2 with two one-point losses in the Pacific Coast Conference and was ranked sixth in the nation. Coming into fall camp, Morrison, who by then was a 200-pounder, made the USC traveling squad, which was only about two dozen players then, and substituted in wearing #24 when USC was assured of victories over Santa Clara and Washington State. He did not play in the season-ending Notre Dame game that started the Trojan-Irish series. However, he was mentioned a few days later as a competitor for one of the four interior line spots that would open in 1927 due to graduations. The coach also got him and teammates jobs in the movie business and perform in small roles. Morrison quit school when his football scholarship wasn’t renewed for the ’27 season. A story later emerged that he injured his shoulder while surfing, though that appears to have been the work of a Hollywood publicist. But by the time the 1972 NFL draft came around, the Atlanta Falcons picked John Wayne in the 17th round.
Brad Correll, Lancaster JetHawks outfielder (2007): He was playing Single-A baseball at age 26 when the JetHawks were an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and in June, he pulled off the rare feat of hitting four homers in a game during a 16-4 win over High Desert. He did it taking just five swings. It only tied the California League record that had been set 35 days earlier by teammate Aaron Bates. In the “pass the hat” collection the Jethawks took, Correll had to leave the stadium with security. “I saw some big money. That was crazy,” he said. “There were a lot more 10s, a lot more 20s and even a 50. I think my mom might have put that in there. I ended up making more than $1,800 that night.” This all came at the end of Correll’s pro career as he was with the Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Florida organizations before this assignment and was done playing by age 29 in the Independent League.
Eddie Fisher, California Angels relief pitcher (1969 to 1972): Nothing really remarkable about the three season he spent in Anaheim during a 15-year MLB career. Except the memory of hearing an Angels game on the radio, and when Dick Enberg mentioned that Eddie Fisher was warming up in the bullpen, my first thought would be: Does Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor know he’s pitching in the big leagues, maybe behind their back?
We also have:
Reggie Theus, Inglewood High basketball (1972 to 1975): Led the team to the semifinals of the CIF 4A tournament averaging 28.5 points and 15.5 rebounds a game before heading to UNLV. Had his No. 24 retired by the school in 2014.
Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles Kings left wing(2002-03 to 2009-10)
Roy Hamilton, UCLA basketball guard (1975-76 to to 1978-79)
Jason Kapono, UCLA basketball forward (1999-2000 to 2002-03)
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA basketball forward (2019-20 to 2022-23)
Natalie Williams, UCLA women’s basketball forward (1990 to 1994)
Willie Davis, California Angels outfielder (1979)
Bruce Kison, California Angels pitcher (1980 to 1984)
Gary Pettis, California Angels outfielder (1986 to 1987, also No. 30 in 1982 and No. 20 from 1983 to 1986 )
Sandy Alomar, California Angels catcher (1973 to 1974, also No. 4 from 1969 to 1971 and No. 2 from 1971 to 1972)
Rickey Henderson, Anaheim Angels outfielder (1997)
Gary Matthews Jr., California Angels outfielder (2007 to 2009)
Chili Davis, California Angels outfielder (1988 to 1990, also No. 44 from 1993 to 1996)
Clancy Williams, Los Angeles Rams cornerback (1965 to 1972)
Tommy Wilson, Los Angeles Rams halfback (1956 to 1961)
Jay Wells, Los Angeles Kings forward (1979-80 to 1987-88)
Whitey Herzog, California Angels manager (1974)
Anyone else worth nominating?
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