According to Wikipedia...
Late in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from #8 to #24 at the start of the 2006-07 NBA season. #24 was Bryant's first high school number, before he switched to #33.[3] After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted #24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was #33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He said the switch to 24 signified the start of the second half of his career. Bryant took number 8 after his favorite Italian league player, Mike D'Antoni. Kobe Bryant grew up watching D'Antoni as a star point guard in the Italian league, where his father, "Jelly Bean" Bryant, also played.