Bryant is officially part of what was: the collection of greats whose uniform numbers hang from the Staples Center rafters. A fair collection of those hallowed players — Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor — were at the arena Monday to watch Bryant’s 8 and 24 join theirs.

Bryant himself took it back to those legends as he addressed the crowd.

GREER: Questions about Kobe remain unanswered

“It’s not about my jerseys that are hanging up there for me. It’s about the jerseys that were hanging up there before, and without them I couldn’t be here today,” he said. “They inspired me to play the game at a high level.”

Few have reached Kobe’s level, but a fair percentage of them also wore the purple and gold and had their eyes fixed on Bryant on Monday. So, too, did a few special guests: Bill Russell and Allen Iverson.

Then Bryant’s gaze shifted forward as he tried to keep the standard in LA rafters-high.

MORE: Bryant on which number is his favorite

“It’s also about the next generation. It’s about this current Laker roster that we have here. It’s about embodying the spirit that exists in those jerseys up there and carrying this organization forward, that the next 20 years are better than the past 20 years, and that’s what it’s about,” he said.

As Bryant was leaving the court after the ceremony, he stopped to say hello to rookie point guard Lonzo Ball. A torch pass, one could say.

It’s Ball’s time now. Brandon Ingram’s. Kyle Kuzma’s. Those three, and the other young Lakers, are still learning not just how to win, but to be winners in the mold of a Bryant.

Ball, Ingram and Kuzma were on the floor late in overtime on Monday against the defending champion Warriors. There they saw a superstar perform like prime Kobe in crunch time.

GOOD, BAD, BALLS: Evaluating these young Lakers 

Ball had an especially good look at Kevin Durant — who watched Bryant’s halftime ceremony courtside with his teammates — draining the go-ahead shot over Ball with six seconds remaining.

When Ball tried to tie the game on the ensuing possession, he got schooled again. He drove to the rim … only to have his layup blocked by David West.

Not your time, Lonzo. Not your time, 2017-18 Lakers.

It’s back to school on how to win those games, on how to finish like the Mamba, on how to follow the example Kobe, Shaq, Magic and everyone else with jerseys in the rafters has set for the franchise.