Kobe Bryant will be the first Laker in team history to have TWO jersey numbers retired ... when they put #8 and #24 in the Staples Center rafters in December.
TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Lake Show will have a ceremony to retire Kobe's jersey on Dec. 18 before the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors.
The big question was which # would get the VIP treatment.
The answer? Both ... according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Of course, Bryant dominated in both numbers ... winning 3 NBA championships in #8 (2000, 2001, 2002) and 2 in #24 (2009, 2010).
BTW, Rick Fox kinda called this ... predicting a double number retirement way back in 2015.