Kobe Bryant had a unique perspective on his jersey numbers getting retired: "What is more important for a legacy is how that affects the next generation"

Even after 20 of the most decorated years a franchise could want out of a player, Kobe Bryant couldn't quite contextualize his moment, which gift-wrapped his storied legacy into one.

"He's everything in this city," then-Lakers coach Luke Walton said .

"For 20 years, he thrilled us and made us scratch our head," Hall of Fame Lakers point guard Magic Johnson said .

There could've been 2x more people of the already 20,000+ in attendance to witness Bryant's jersey retirement, and each one of them would've had a quote to celebrate the former Lakers guard's legacy in one way or another. But for the man who wore No. 8 and No. 24, his ceremony spanning more than 20 minutes during halftime of a Lakers game served as a special reminder of who and what he represented as a person.

Entering the NBA at 18 and playing the entire length of his career in one uniform, all of his moments, good and bad, came to the forefront as he celebrated all the experiences that helped him become one of the game's most revered icons.

"It is hard to put into words," Kobe said , reflecting on watching his jerseys being raised to the rafters. "Growing up and watching all these great players play and learning so much from them, to now be a part of that wall means everything to me. Legacy is really important in the sense of what we have done is awesome, but what is more important for a legacy is how that affects the next generation. For the jerseys up there now, the impact it had on me, which led us to this moment now is the true [indication of a legacy]."

Bigger than basketball

What makes Bryant truly unique is how his perspective changed over the years. At one point, he was maybe the most internally driven superstar ever. From his maniacal workouts, stone-faced approach to games, treating a major victory just like he would treat a lamentable loss all fueled by his unrelenting pursuit of winning championships.

"As I sit here now, I come to realize that it's not about those things," he said . Those things carry a greater significance to them, and it's how well you can affect or impact others. Not from the sense of fandom or whatever the case may be. Through your actions, through your behavior, through your commitment to the game, how can that inspire to be as committed in whatever field they are choosing to be a part of. And that's where I think the connection that we have."

If you can recall, Kobe once stated that if basketball was the only thing he would be remembered for, then he failed. He didn't say that because his passion for the game waned as he got older. He said he wanted to use his legacy and platform to inspire people to be as great as he was in their desired profession. His goal was to allow people to use his commitment to basketball as a blueprint to commit to what they want to do.

And for that reason, Bryant's impact on fans reached new heights after his passing. So congratulations, Kobe: you've succeeded in your mission of being remembered more than a five-time world champion and one of the greatest players ever.

No. 8 or No. 24?

Having spent 10 years donning each jersey number, "The Mamba" was a Hall of Famer in two separate phases of his career. No. 8 was highflying, daring, and knew no boundaries, a three-peat with numerous memorable moments throughout his championship run. No. 24 was controlled, reserved in emotion, but with controlled aggression. Two more NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, and a regular season MVP were all needed to cement his legacy as the second-greatest shooting guard to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.

Kobe, what's your answer?

"If they do a statue, you don't necessarily have to see the number anywhere," said the five-time champion . "And if they do hair, it is a dead giveaway -- 8 has something that 24 will never, never, never have. That is the ability to grow hair.

"[No.] 24 was more challenging, and I tend to gravitate toward things that are harder to do. Physically, it was really, really hard to get up night after night, taking on the Boston Celtics having a bone fragment in my foot, a broken finger, muscling through that back half of my career. I guess if you forced me, I probably would go with 24 because of that."

Related: The moment Kobe Bryant realized his final NBA game would be epic: "I felt bad for my teammates, so it was like, 'Oh, sh*t, I gotta go'"