Carolina Panthers rookie Jaycee Horn will wear No. 8 in honor of Kobe Bryant

Carolina Panthers rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn is honoring one of the all-time NBA greats with his jersey number. 

The No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, Horn will wear No. 8 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant. 

Horn tweeted a photo of himself in a No. 8 jersey on Saturday: 

"New beginnings," he wrote. "#8ball #RIPKobe." 

Bryant wore No. 8 during the first half of his career with the Lakers before switching to No. 24. 

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In 2016, Horn tweeted that Bryant was his favorite player of all time and celebrated his final game, a 61-point performance, on April 13 of that year. 

One year and one day after Bryant's death — the Lakers great, daughter Gianna and seven others died when a helicopter crashed in southern California — Horn wrote on Twitter: "The world just feel like it's missing a big piece ever since Kobe left. Long Live the Greatest!" 

Horn played collegiately for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He was the first defensive player selected in the 2021 draft and is the son of four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Joe Horn. 

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter@BOOMbaca.