DeAndre Hopkins will aim to unleash his own inner “Black Mamba” for the Kansas City Chiefs. Hopkins is honoring the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant at his new NFL home with his newest number.

The newly added Chiefs wide receiver revealed his number choice on Thursday. The perennial Pro Bowler, now suiting up for his fourth franchise, unveiled his reasoning for choosing No. 8.

“Kobe Bryant, one of my favorite athletes of all time,” Hopkins explained to reporters. “So, if I knew I ever had the chance to wear No. 8, just like when I picked No. 10 because (Lionel) Messi was my favorite soccer player and an underdog, it felt like me at the time coming out of college. But Kobe No. 8 is a special number.”

Hopkins became known among NFL fans for torching cornerbacks while wearing No. 10. He’ll now switch out of his famed No. 10 to Bryant’s original number from his Los Angeles Lakers days. He faced a dilemma in grabbing No. 10 anyway, as Chiefs star running back Isiah Pacheco already has that number.

The veteran WR got inserted into the Chiefs’ roster via trade with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday. The Chiefs sent a fifth-round selection with the potential to become a fourth if K.C. wins the Super Bowl in exchange for Hopkins. The pick can also become a fourth-rounder if Hopkins plays at least 60% of his snaps according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.

DeAndre Hopkins addresses a need for Chiefs 

Many fans will believe the Chiefs have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver.

However, Hopkins provides a boost and need for the undefeated defending Super Bowl champions.

Kansas City is operating with a depleted WR room. The injury bug hit Rashee Rice, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and Juju Smith-Schuster this season. The latter wideout went down with a hamstring ailment against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Even at 32, Hopkins brings a valuable veteran presence to the Chiefs’ wideout room. The franchise features 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy as a future building block. The rookie out of Texas has snatched 15 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns in six games. But again, Hopkins’ arrival provides needed receiving depth.

The 6-0 Chiefs still boast a top-15 passing unit. The NFL’s lone unbeaten team ranks 12th averaging 221.5 yards per game through the air. Although Kansas City quarterback and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes has only produced one 300-yard outing in ’24. He hit 331 yards in the Oct. 7 home victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Kansas City’s newest No. 8 will make his debut on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Hopkins will face the Raiders for the sixth time in his career, but first since Oct. 27, 2019, during a time he was with the Houston Texans. He’s 3-2 overall against the Silver and Black.