Best Players by jersey number

[[Q]]

From Mitchell & Ness, one of the hottest apparel companies about 10-15 years ago when throwback jerseys were all the rage:
https://www.mitchellandness.com/company/best-players-by-number

Sure, they were a little biased towards jerseys that they sell, helped by the fact that they chose "best player to ever wear the number" and not based on their performance while wearing that number. Otherwise, Malone would probably lose to Yao at 11 & Batum over Walker at 88 and anyone over Vince at 25.

and Kwame must have been the only person ever to wear #38

[mp3]

LeBron should of thought of picking another number.

There is no greater #23 than MJ and enough at #6 he has Bill Russell to contend with.

Nice find Q!

[mp3]

Wait... There has never being a player with #69???

#Goon

[Kevin]

Jason Collins? seriously?

[Stress Fracture]

Marcus Camby FTW

[mp3]

Jason Collins? seriously?

Has anyone else ever wore #98?

[Andrew]

Collins' competition at #98 is Hamed Haddadi and Chet Aubuchon. I think Collins wins that one through longevity, if nothing else.

I suppose picking Malone for #11 is fair in the broad sense of "best player to wear it", but I agree that it'd be a more interesting list if players who were multiple numbers were restricted to the one they wore for a majority of their career. If we're to disqualify Malone, I'd go with Isiah for #11. Same with A.C. Green and #45, if we're only counting #23 for MJ. There are a few Hall of Famers you could put ahead of Carter at #25 too, since #15 is his most famous number.

Incidentally, Kwame's not the only player to wear #38, but he's still probably the best/most noteworthy player on that short list.

[Mandich]

Smh at Iverson over Wade.

[Andrew]

Chris Paul's up there among the #3s, too.

[mp3]

I would of taken John Starks for #3 myself (;-))

[[Q]]

Wait... There has never being a player with #69???

#Goon

Rodman wanted to wear it but they didn't let him. That's why he settled for 73 & 70

[Kevin]

Wait... There has never being a player with #69???

#Goon

Rodman wanted to wear it but they didn't let him. That's why he settled for 73 & 70

Why not?

[Andrew]

You have to get special permission to wear higher numbers in the first place. Seeing as how the connotations were pretty obvious, I'd say the league were well aware of what he was trying to do there, and said "Yeah, nice try, pick another number."

[koberulz]

You have to get special permission to wear higher numbers in the first place.

Why? What makes them different to any other number?

[Andrew]

Higher numbers are more difficult for the referees to signal to the bench. 55 is the highest number that can be easily signalled with our two hands and ten fingers, so the NBA has deemed that the cut-off point for approval. Obviously there are numbers before 55 that can't be as easily signalled (38, 19, 47, to name a few at random), but everything above 55 is more difficult, and those difficult numbers under 55 tend to be rarely chosen anyway. High school and college basketball tends to flat out restrict players from choosing those numbers that can't be easily signalled in the first place

I remember reading that after a game in which he fouled out, John Paxson sarcastically claimed he'd be changing his number to 99, so the referees wouldn't be so inclined to call fouls on him (not wanting to go to the trouble of signalling 99, as opposed to 5).

[koberulz]

How does the NBA do that? From what I've seen they simultaneously use the right hand for the first digit, and the left hand for the second (I presume, so that it reads the right way for the scorebench). With FIBA, you use one or both hands, as necessary, with the back of your hand facing the scorebench, to signal the first or only digit. Then one or both hands, as necessary, with your palm facing the scorebench, to signal the second digit if there is one.

This strikes me as easier than the NBA system for digits higher than five, and significantly less confusing in general.

[JaoSming]

'toine!

[[Q]]

How does the NBA do that? From what I've seen they simultaneously use the right hand for the first digit, and the left hand for the second (I presume, so that it reads the right way for the scorebench). With FIBA, you use one or both hands, as necessary, with the back of your hand facing the scorebench, to signal the first or only digit. Then one or both hands, as necessary, with your palm facing the scorebench, to signal the second digit if there is one.

This strikes me as easier than the NBA system for digits higher than five, and significantly less confusing in general.

when I was reffing intramural games in college, I did it with the front and back of the hands like you described

[Sauru]

i really wish this did not include players who wore a different number at the end of their career

[Moz]

Smh at Iverson over Wade.

Chris Paul's up there among the #3s, too.

I would of taken John Starks for #3 myself (;-))

The average Joes don't rank players by stats but by how many MVP trophies they have though I reckon it's all about the earnings that Mitchell and Ness got from the jersey and also Starks over AI is laughable... Also at 36, Pistons' Sheed over Celtics' Shaq is an understatement...

[Andrew]

Well, on the bright side, it's not like it's a definitive list or anything.

[Sauru]

Well, on the bright side, it's not like it's a definitive list or anything.

someone needs to make one.............

[Andrew]

We can all give it a shot.

[mp3]

I think that is a great idea, the NLSC version would make for some great debate.

[Mandich]

Really sounds like a great idea.

Obviously doing every number at the same time will result in awful spamming, but the numbers were to be divided it should be really interesting.