The Numbers game: (final list:0-10)

[[Q]]

So I was bored and decided to compile the quintessential list of players that each jersey numbers "belongs" to. This isn't a list of retired player numbers, or a list of best players to wear a certain number. When you think of a jersey number this is the first person that comes to mind.

With that said, I will be doing them about 10 at a time and will take input from the members in case I miss something (or if I am too biased towards newer players) for about a week or so before coming up with my final list.

and now to the numbers:

00/0-Why would anyone call themselves a zero? who knows? Benoit Benjamin is one of the guys that comes to mind but I can't shake the memories of Greg Ostertag's ugly zeroes from my memory.

1-The ultimate "little guy" number or the ultimate ego number as in "number one". The NBA's smallest player Muggsy Bogues used it in Charlotte. Nate "Tiny" Archibald has it retired in Sacto. Anfernee Hardaway's "Penny" nickname earned him a fitting number one. The classic Big O Milwaukee jersey also comes to mind with the big #1 and no name on the back.

2-popularized by Alex English and Mitch richmond in the 80s and 90s.

3-perhaps the NBA's most popular number today, so many people can be considered here. Allen Iverson's probably one of the front runners for this as his Philly jersey is one of the top sellers of the last 10 years or so.

4-As a Laker fan, I would say Byron Scott, but Spud Webb & Chris Webber come to mind as well.

5-Probably the hardest one for candidates in this round, I'd say maybe John Paxson or Robert Horry or Jason Kidd.

6-Gotta give a shoutout to my man Eddie Jones, but it's hard to come up with a bigger #6 than Dr. J. Remember AI's tribute to him in the ASG a couple years back?

7-Retired by 2 teams for Pistol Pete. Kevin Johnson of the Suns also comes to mind.

8-It's hard to think of anyone who popularized #8 more than Kobe Bryant. Antoine Walker begs to differ.

9-Going old school with Bob Pettit or maybe a little more recent with Dan Majerle or Nick Van Exel (yeah yeah another 90s Laker reference)

10-The man on the mic (and unfortunately Hair Club for Men commercials) Walt Frazier is my front runner with Nate McMillan and Tim Hardaway close behind.

so my final list goes:
00-Robert Parish
0-Olden Polynice
1-Oscar robertson
2-Alex English
3-Allen Iverson
4-Joe Dumars
5-Jason Kidd
6-Julius Erving
7-Pistol Pete
8-kobe Bryant
9-Dan Majerle
10-Walt Frazier

thanks for the suggestions on the first round. my initial thoughts on 11-20 should come tomorrow. oOooooOo I am anticipating my pick for #20 like I anticipate it for the annual NBA Live picture countdown thread.

Last edited by [Q] on Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ok, here it goes.

00- tony delk

0- Gilbert Arenas

1- Rashad McCants

2-I want pizza.

3-Dwyane Wade

4-Randy Foye

5-Jason Kidd

6-Tyson Chandler

7-Shawn Marion

8-Antoine Walker

9- Rajon Rondo

10-Mike Bibby

Going with the first players that come to mind:

0 - Gilbert Arenas
00 - Robert Parish
1 - Oscar Robertson
2 - Mitch Richmond
3 - Allen Iverson
4 - Chris Webber
5 - Jason Kidd
6 - Eddie Jones
7 - Toni Kukoc
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Tim Hardaway

Also first players to come to mind:

0 - Gilbert Arenas
00 - Darrel Arthur (and has hasn't even played a game yet)
1 - Amare Stoudemire (I know he used to be 32)
2 - Derek Fisher
3 - Chris Paul
4 - Randy Foye
5 - Jason Kidd
6 - Tyson Chandler
7 - Brandon Roy
8 - DJ Strawberry
9 - Rajon Rondo
10 - Leandro Barbosa

Can you tell I'm a Suns fan?

00 - Benoit Benjamin
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Tracy McGrady
2- Derek Fisher
3- Dwayne Wade
4 - Byron Scott
5 - Jason Kidd
6 - Bill Russell
7 - Brandon Roy
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Norm Nixon

0 - Orlando Woolridge
00 - The Chief
1 - Penny
2 - Larry Johnson
3 - AI
4- C-Webb
5 - Jason Kidd
6 - Dr. J
7 - Toni Kukoc
8 - Latrell Sprewell
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Bob Love

00 - Greg Ostertag
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Penny Hardaway
2 - Mitch Richmond - Joe Johnson
3 - Stephon Marbury
4 - Chris Webber - Scott Skiles
5 - Andres Nocioni
6 - Avery Johnson
7 - Kevin Johnson
8 - Oliver Miller
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Mookie Blaylock

00 - Robert Parish
0 - Gilbert Arenas (Think he popularized it with "Agent Zero")
1 - Dorell Wright
2 - Joe Johnson
3 - Dwyane Wade / Allen Iverson
4 - Nate Robinson
5 - TJ Ford
6 - Avery Johnson
7 - DeCovan Kadell "Dee" Brown (Can anyone forget his no-look Slam Dunk in 1991)
8 - Kobe Bryant / Deron Williams
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - BJ Armstrong

ah Dee Brown. good one.

00 - Robert Parish
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Tracy McGrady / Daniel "Boobie" Gibson
2 - Jason Williams / Jason Kidd
3 - Dwyane Wade / Stephon Marbury
4 - Nate Robinson / Spud Webb
5 - Robert Horry
6 - Bill Russell
7 - Dee Brown / Brandon Roy
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Tim Hardaway

00 - Arthur
0 - Arenas
1 - B.Diddy
2 - Eddy Curry
3 - Dwyane Wade
4 - Bosh
5 - J Kidd
6 - E.Jones
7 - Jermaine O'Neal, Matrix
8 - 'Toine
9 - Rondo
10 - Bibby

00 - Greg Ostertag
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Chauncey Billups
2 - Joe Johnson
3 - Chris Paul
4 - Chris Bosh
5 - Josh Smith
6 - Julius Erving
7 - Andrea Bargnani
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Dan Majerle
10 - Mike Bibby

naming first player that comes to my head when I hear the numbers....

00- Robert Parish
0- Gilbert Arenas
1- Penny Hardaway
2- Larry Johnson
3- Dennis Johnson
4- Chris Webber
5- Jason Kidd
6- Bill Russell
7- Kevin Johnson
8- Monta Ellis
9- Dan Majerle
10- Mike Bibby


if I think about it a bit more, then:

00- Robert Parish
0- Gilbert Arenas
1- Oscar Robertson
2- Mitch Richmond
3- Allen Iverson
4- Chris Webber
5- Jason Kidd
6- Bill Russell
7- "Pistol" Pete Maravich
8- Kobe Bryant
9- Bob Pettit
10- Tim Hardaway

00 - Greg Ostertag
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Tracy McGrady
2 - Keith Askins
3 - Allen Iverson
4 - Chris Bosh
5 - Jason Kidd
6 - Eddie Jones
7 - Jermaine O´neal
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Andre Iguodala
10 - Tim Hardaway

Looking back at my list, I'm wondering whether the "first player that comes into your head" approach is best since it does tend to favour current players, all-time favourites and players on your favourite team rather than the most noteworthy players who "own" that number.

Also going with first player that comes into my head:

00 - Robert Parish
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Tracy McGrady
2 - Larry Johnson
3 - Allen Iverson
4 - Chris Bosh
5 - Jalen Rose
6 - Bill Russell
7 - Ben Gordon
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Andre Iguodala
10 - Tim Hardaway

Don't no why Jalen Rose comes to mind. Probably when he spent his time with Toronto.

0-Arenas
1-Chauncey Billups
2-Joe Johnson/J.Kidd
3-Allen Iverson
4-Nate Robinson/C.Webber
5-B.Davis/Cuttino Mobley/Carlos Boozer
6.Lebron James in Team USA uniform
7.Ben Gordon/Bostjan Nachbar
8.Micheal Redd in Team USA uniform
9.Luol Deng
10. Tim Hardaway

Those are some players that comes to my head when I see those numbers.

00 - Ostertag
0 - Arenas
1 - Penny
2 - Joe Johnson
3 - AI
4 - Webber
5 - Big Shot Bob
6 - Dr. J
7 - Kukoc
8 - Sprewell
9 - Iggy
10 - Tim Bug

Last edited by el badman on Sat Jul 26, 2008 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

00-Ostertag
0-Arenas
1-T-Mac
2-Joe Johnson
3-Iverson
4-Bosh
5-Kidd
6-Dr.J
7-Jermaine O'Neal
8-Kobe
9-Iguodala
10-Hardaway

00___Ostertag
0____Arenas
1____Francis/B.Davis
2____Kidd
3____Iverson/Paul
4____Webber
5____Garnett/Ginobili (Argentina)
6____Erwing
7____Roy
8____Bryant
9____Parker/Iguodala
10___Barbosa

00 - Harvey Buckwell
0 - Nate Goodson
1 - Jamal Robertson
2 - Daniel Williams
3 - Ross Anderson
4 - Dave Smith
5 - Howard Singleton
6 - Trevor Crawford
7 - Patrick Ford
8 - Richard Hill
9 - Roger Johnson
10 - Bobby Thomas

00. Tag
0. Olden Polynice
1. T-Mac
2. Larry Johnson
3. Bryon Russell
4. Shawn Kemp
5. Boozer
6. ? I got nothing.
7. Tony Kukoc
8. D-Will
9. John Starks
10. Howard Eisley

It's kinda funny to see the players that you think of first when thinking of these numbers.

cyanide, who the hell are those people?

Oh, good darko. At least Qballer bothered to post reasons. (And cryanide lulz.)

Mines would have to be...

00 - Greg Ostertag
0 - Gilbert Arenas
1 - Tracy McGrady
2 - Mitch Richmond
3 - Allen Iverson
4 - Chris Webber
5 - Maurice Evans (while he was with the Kings)
6 - Dr. J
7 - Brandon Roy
8 - Kobe Bryant
9 - Tony Parker
10 - Mike Bibby