As Caleb Wilson transitions to the NBA, the No. 4 overall pick will once again honor a Hall of Famer with his jersey number when he takes the court with the Chicago Bulls.
Wilson wore No. 24 at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School in Georgia before switching to No. 8 for his lone year at North Carolina. Of course, those were the two numbers worn by Kobe Bryant during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, both of which were retired by the franchise.
The 20-year-old Wilson opted to keep No. 8 upon joining the Bulls to pay homage to the late Bryant. He has often said that he modeled his game after Bryant growing up and tries to play with a "Mamba Mentality," as made famous by the five-time champion.
"So in high school, I wore No. 24 because of Kobe,
then in college I wore No. 8 because of Kobe," Wilson said last month, via the NBA on X. "I was just like, I'm going to stick with No. 8, keep it calm and classy."
Wilson was a consensus second-team All-American selection last season, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8% from the field. He set the freshman program records for scoring average and 20-point games (17).
The 6-foot-10 forward was named to the All-Summer League first team, averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in four games. He ranked fourth in total points (94) among all players, having scored 19 or more in each appearance.
Wilson enters his rookie campaign with plenty of hype after dazzling in Las Vegas last month. He has already become a fan favorite in such a short time and appears poised to have a productive first season on the court with the Bulls.
Note: Throughout August, Rookie Wire is looking at every first-round pick and why each player selected their respective jersey number as they make the jump to the NBA.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson honors Hall of Famer with jersey number
