Isaiah Thomas will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant now that Thomas is back in the NBA. Thomas intends to wear No. 24 with the New Orleans Pelicans as a tribute to Bryant.

The Pelicans tweeted out Thomas’ jersey number Saturday. Thomas confirmed why he chose No. 24, responding to that tweet by saying “Kobe!!!!”

Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans on Friday. It’s the first time he’s played in the NBA in over a year. Thomas spent 40 games with the Washington Wizards during the 2019-20 NBA season. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers before the trade deadline, and was waived by the team.

In January, Thomas revealed to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes how Bryant helped the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA playoffs. The Celtics dropped their first two games against the No. 8 seed Chicago Bulls, causing Thomas to call up Bryant for help. Bryant and Thomas broke down game film for over two hours, and the Celtics went on to win the series.

Thomas’ stint with the Pelicans will mark the first time he’s worn No. 24. Thomas has worn five different numbers in his nine seasons in the NBA.