45: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, No. And even if Leonard plays at a high level for another 12 years, he probably won't get there, either. The 7-footer averaged seven points per game in Indiana last season while wearing No. He made 58 starts during his five seasons in this number, averaging a meager 5.9 points per game with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. There are 2 NBA players who currently wear the number 77 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. There are 3 NBA players who currently wear the number 34 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. His first three and final four seasons weren't great, but The Glove was a stud in between, averaging 20.8 points, 7.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game over the course of a full decade. Hill, Pippen and Mourning were each seven-time All-Stars who were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and they were the simple ones to trim from the list. Both are in the NBA Hall of Fame. Dillon Brooks and Buddy Hield arent far behind, but Norman Powell beats them out here. He only averaged 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his career, and he was a liability on defense. Stats: 112 games played, 25,624 passing yards, 196 passing touchdowns, League: NBA He averaged 18.2 and 7.1, respectively, in his career. In addition to being named Rookie of the Year in 1964-65, Reed averaged 20.1 points and 13.8 rebounds in his first seven seasons in the NBA. Duncan was the best of a dying breed. 27 in Minnesota after being dealt by the Utah Jazz in the summers biggest blockbuster trade. Tony Parker was a great point guard and all, but not enough people talk about this pioneer of early basketball. In his age-21-28 seasons, McGrady averaged 26.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Years active: 1996-2010 Now, he will turn his attention to making a legitimate run for the NBA Finals. Kobe BryantHonorable Mentions: Walt Bellamy, Marques Johnson, Deron Williams. Like Anderson, AK-47 was the only player to don his number for at least five years. No sense in writing about Ron Artest/Metta World Peace for Nos. Bill RussellHonorable Mention: Julius Erving, Dr. J was a three-time ABA MVP and a one-time NBA MVP who was selected to the All-Star Game in each and every one of his 16 seasons. This was the one number greater than 50 that had multiple quality candidates. 90. But he had such a great mid-range jumper, such a tenacity on the glass, such a motor on defense and such a willingness to share the spotlight that he never had to expand his game. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. English and Richmond were great. 40. Top 50 player in NBA history? 26 for at least five seasons, so this wasn't a tough decision, considering Robinson had 5.8 career win shares. 7 for the Brooklyn Nets to start the 2022-23 season. The Suns' veteran point guard could not continue after suffering the injury in the 3rd quarter on Monday. Working in reverse numerical order, this was the first decision that was even remotely difficult. His three seasons in No. 37: NBA He's No. to sport the unusual number, saying he chose it to honor Dennis Rodman. Marcus Smart is the only NBA player who wears 36 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. For instance, we're not going to consider Michael Jordan for No. WebNBA players can choose whatever number they like but from 00-99 only. 14. 7 for most of their careers, and a couple of Hall of Famers spent about half of their careers wearing the lucky number. The seven-time All-Star is, Pettit only played 11 seasons, but he was All-NBA for all 11 of them, earning MVP honors in 1955-56. The Thin Man was unlikely to play at all in 2019-20 while recovering from a torn Achilles, but he had averaged at least 25 points per game in each of the previous 11 seasons, including four scoring titles during his time in Oklahoma City. 88 for at least five seasons, but his five-year, $120 million contract is one of the worst of all time. NBA players, executives, personalities and luminaries share their thoughts on the death of the Celtics and NBA icon. DeRozan has averaged at least 20 points in each of the last seven seasons, and he's still probably the seventh-best option for this number. Six-time NBA champion and Rookie of the Year are secondary achievements on his outrageous resume. Another Indiana State great. Donning the same number as Shaquille ONeal during his heyday, the Greek Freak is now the most physically dominant player in basketball. With all due respect to two of the best big men of the past 15 years, this was in no way a difficult decision. Stats: 1,054 games played, 22.0 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals, League: NFL Over a 20 David Duke Jr. (Brooklyn Nets | Free agent ) Garnett and Wilkins were fantastic players, but 15-time All-NBA and five-time NBA champion Duncan is somewhere in the Nos. Stephen CurryHonorable Mentions: George McGinnis, Bernard King. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. There are 16 NBA players who currently wear the number 24 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. 17: Jonas Valanciunas, New Orleans Pelicans, No. 34 for Shaq, as well as No. He is currently 20th on the all-time leaderboard with 26,314 points, and he's only 632 points away from leapfrogging up to No. 6 in 1972. Playing alongside LeBron James has its perks. This was, by far, the toughest decision of all. 3 the past two seasons for Chicago, has already said he is giving it up. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Robinson was elite on both ends of the floor, averaging 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in his career. Years ago, youd be challenged to find 5 players with that number. Mikal Bridges is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA and was rewarded as a first-team All-Defensive selection last season. There are 14 NBA players who currently wear the number 14 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Payton and Shawn Kemp were basically a cheat code. Beaty was a phenomenal big man, averaging 17.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in his career. While there, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. 2020-21 NBA Uniform Numbers | Basketball-Reference.com 32: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, No. The NBA and NBPA announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league. Basketball Noise 2023 | Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. David RobinsonHonorable Mention: Ralph Sampson. Kids rarely have the opportunity to wear certain numbers, but it looks like some NBA players dont think the same way I do. Magic JohnsonHonorable Mentions: Karl Malone, Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, Shaquille O'Neal (only considered for 34). He was the basketball version of a metronome. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 10. There are 13 NBA players who currently wear number 1 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Not quite as deep as No. But Kirilenko was an All-Star in 2003-04, the NBA leader in blocked shots (220) in 2005-06 and a three-time All-Defensive team member, making the first team in 2005-06. NBA players NBA superstars like Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, and Chris Paul dominated the NBA while sporting the 3 on their backs. There are 20 NBA players who currently wear the number 11 in the NBA for the 2021-22 NBA Season. 28. Sign up for the Celtics Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He was bordering on all-time greatness before that, though. 99. 36. Ewing (11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA) and Bird (12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time NBA MVP) were a little more painful. Chris PaulHonorable Mentions: Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Dennis Johnson, Ben Wallace, Steve Francis. 6. , who averaged a double-double in 2021-22. 2. Reggie MillerHonorable Mention: Zelmo Beaty. Because there are more deserving candidates at No. and rightfully earned his second straight All-Star selection last season. Theres less confusion. Gary PaytonHonorable Mention: Manu Ginobili. (LeBron James is a few hundred rebounds away from joining the club.). 36, and it's the number he donned for most of his time with Detroitwhere his propensity for technical fouls somewhat reanimated the "Bad Boy" era of the Pistons. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bobby was named to 11 All-Defensive teams. He's currently No. The Hawks went all-in on Dejounte Murray as a backcourt mate for Trae Young, sending three first-round picks to San Antonio in order to acquire the one-time All-Star. Shawn KempHonorable Mention: Bill Laimbeer. 1 or even No. WATCH: Boston legend Bill Russell hits series-winning shot over Wilt Chamberlain (1964), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. WATCH: What are our early impressions of Dennis Schroder as a Boston Celtic? The obvious choice is Frazier, though. as a backcourt mate for Trae Young, sending three first-round picks to San Antonio in order to acquire the one-time All-Star. 30. I always wanted to wear No. If we factor in championships won as a head coach, the Zen Master would be the obvious choice here. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 1. Each athlete hoped to make his own legacy to standthe test of time in his respective league. 67 in Minnesota, kept it in New York and will continue wearing it in Washington. The Best NBA Players by Jersey Number - Bleacher Report There are 2 NBA players to wear 88 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. 4 he was down to 4.8 points per game, and he was out of the NBA after six seasons. 1 in that category. Allen (145.1), Barkley (177.2), Olajuwon (162.8) and Pierce (150.0) each rank in the top 30 in win shares in NBA history. 33 has a bunch of deserving candidates but an even easier choice for the top spot. LeBron James will maybe catch him before retiring, but Abdul-Jabbar is currently the all-time leader in win shares by a margin of 26.15 (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain). dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. 31. Best player by jersey number for 2022-23 NBA season. All-NBA wasn't as hard to get in the 1950s as it was in the 1980s. 27: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves, The Stifle Tower is keeping his No. Jack Sikma opened the door for big men to shoot threes, but Dirk kicked that door in and left everyone in the room in awe. We're giving Thurmond the edge because a career rate of 15.0 rebounds per game is incredible. Hondo only had two seasons above 25 points per game, but he was a 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA and an eight-time champion. Come on, be serious. 42. All players will wear a black patch featurring the number 6 on their unfiforms in the 2022-23 NBA Season in memory of the 11 time Champion who passed away in 2022. Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the Hall of Fame MLB players who wore numer 3 during their iconic careers. NFL and NHL fans have strong associations with the number for some of the most famous names in their sports with players like Russell Wilson and Pierre Pilote. Dirk NowitzkiHonorable Mention: Wes Unseld. Suffice it to say, this is the only way you'll see him mentioned on the same list as David Robinson and Jerry West. No. Rovell also points out the prevalence of No. Duncan Robinson beats out Isaiah Hartenstein and will look to bounce back from a down season by his standards. He was never named first-team All-NBAhe did earn four second-team or third-team honorsand he never received a single vote for MVP, but Gasol made up for his lack of a peak by delivering solid B-plus work for 17 years. 4. At 15,806 assists, he is the career leader by a country mile. After shooting a combined 7-of-68 from three-point range in his first 11 seasons, he went 196-of-550 in his final three years. 0, but he is said to wear it as a reference to his hometown of Oakland, California. At just. 6 and 23 throughout his NBA career. Michael Jordan won five. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He was also a two-time All-Star and a three-time NBA champion. He was one of the greatest college players of all time, and he was outstanding for his first three-plus seasons in the NBA. 54: Sandro Mamukelashvili, Milwaukee Bucks, No. Top 3 NBA Players Who Wear Number 32: Is anyone better than Best sixth man of all time? 34, No. 32 or No. Jason Kidd (12,091) is the only player within 5,000, and even if Kidd had four more years at his apexhis career high was 808 assists in a seasonhe still would've finished almost 500 shy of Stockton. If you want to add Hank Finkel and Mike Wilks to the list of honorable mentions, well, all right. 24, he averaged 26.3 points per game, was an All-Star all 10 years, won two more titles, another scoring crown and an MVP. Thats why I always thought different numbers were cool. A player must have worn the jersey number for at least five years to be eligible for consideration, but the player's full career is considered, not just the portion in which he wore that number. WebIn this video, we dive into the world of basketball to analyze the Top 3 NBA players who proudly wear the number 30 on their jerseys. NFL and NHL fans have strong associations with the number for some of the most famous names in their sports with players like Russell Wilson and Pierre Pilote. 29 for more than three seasons. How in the world this man never won an MVP is beyond me, but West did finish top five in that vote eight times during his 14-year career. As the NBA honors Bill Russell by retiring his jersey number, there have been more than 250 players in league history to wear No. 34. last season and should see his role increase now that he has an offseason with the team under his belt. 6 jersey in 2021-22 (team/status listed in parenthesis): LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) He was the scoring champ in both 2002-03 (32.1 PPG) and 2003-04 (28.0 PPG). He just couldn't stay healthy enough to get there. Sam Jones and Bobby Jones were each great in their own way. 28. There are 6 NBA players who currently wear the number 44 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Three is an iconic number, but I always felt it was cooler to make a more unique choice. Moses Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers | Free agent) There are 15 NBA players who currently wear the number 6 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Tuff Juice, a two-time All-Star, We have reviewed the jersey number changes and put them in a digestible article (If you dont know the rules about changing numbers then click here). 13 is going to be a sneaky candidate to win it all. WebNumber Retired: February 8, 2019. Six Hall of Famers spent at least five seasons in No. Vinsanity was a high-flying dunking machine for the first half of that era. There are 2 NBA players who currently wear the number 26 in the NBA for the 2022-23NBA Season. He averaged 14.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in his second season. Stars like Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, C.J. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 24. John Konchar, the NBAs only No. Follow us onFacebook! 37. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, while the NHL permanently retired Wayne Gretzkys No. Rudy GobertHonorable Mention: Jack Twyman. WebChipper Jones played the positions of Third Base, Left Field, Shortstop, and Right Field wearing the number 10 on the Atlanta Braves (1995-12) for 18 seasons as he batted 0.303 for his career, had an On Base percentage of 0.529, with 468 career Home Runs. All rights reserved. 37, 38 and 39 had no qualified candidate. 6 jersey will be retired across the NBA, a first for the league. 19 as he heads from the Washington Wizards to the Cavaliers. This is because its easier for referees to relay foul calls to the scorers table when every digit is between one and five. See Top 100 Current Players. 2: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers, Its been a while since hes been on the court, but Kawhi Leonard has a chance to remind everyone of his dominance this season with the. 45. 3 NBA Players Both Thurmond and Worthy are Hall of Famers and seven-time All-Stars, so it boiled down to those two. There are 3 NBA players who currently wear the number 40 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Dinwiddie's jersey number one 3 to Lisa Leslie at No. Allen eventually left him in the dustand Steph Curry and James Harden are going to obliterate them bothbut Miller retired as the all-time leader in made three-pointers with 2,560 of them. Pettit only played 11 seasons, but he was All-NBA for all 11 of them, earning MVP honors in 1955-56the first NBA MVP ever awardedand 1958-59. 23. Based solely on playing career, though, Cowens is the only option. He probably still has at least a year or two left in the tank to get there, considering he made 50 starts and scored 763 points (thus far) in the 2019-20 season. The typical box score stats are simple enough to sift through. 10: Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers, No. After becoming one of the greatest players in UCLA history, Wilkes went on to win the 1975 NBA Rookie of the Year crown. 8, he averaged 23.9 points per game, was an eight-time All-Star, won three NBA titles and one scoring crown. There are 4 NBA players who currently wear the number 32 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. Caron Butler, a.k.a. There are 17 NBA players who currently wear the number 12 in the NBA for the 2022-23 NBA Season. 23 in L.A., one of his top adversaries gets the distinction as the best current player with the famous number. With the 2022-23 NBA season upon us, jersey numbers have changed across the league. In his second-fourth seasons in the NBA, he averaged 33.8 points and 18.3 rebounds. Al Horford saw a resurgent season in his return to the, and finally reached his first Finals after, No.