by [Q] on Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:10 am
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.