"Incompetence should not be confined to one sex." - Bill Russell when asked about the prospect of female referees.


 
 

Retired jersey numbers




For those not sure of what this is all about:

Almost all Americans give great eulogy, particularly to those in the media spotlight. It is the American way to wildly and overzealously celebrate its past, and the people in it. Why this is, we can only speculate. Personally, I believe it's because they have such little history as a nation, they overdo what little history that they do have to try and counteract this. But anyway. The point is that if someone's played really well for an NBA team for an extended period (as in, like, REALLY well. I'm talking Rick Brunson well), or if there's some other reason we're supposed to love them, the team decides to remind us all of this by "retiring their number". This involves hanging a shit piece of cloth from the arena roof with that name and number on it, and forbidding any future players for that team ever wearing the number again. This is supposed to make us all sentimental and proud and stuff. Does it work? Does it bollocks. But, you know, whatever.

Here is a list of all such numbers in history. Almost all are for players (the case unless otherwise stated), some are for executives, some are for randoms, and some are PR stunts. One's just sickening. You'll know which it is.






9 - Bob Pettit
17 -Ted Turner, former owner
21 - Dominique Wilkins
23 - Lou Hudson
40 - Jason Collier (died under contract)
  
 
 
 
00 - Robert Parish
1 - Walter A. Brown, team founder and former owner
2 - Red Auerbach, former head coach and executive
3 - Dennis Johnson
6 - Bill Russell, player and head coach
10 - Jo Jo White
14 - Bob Cousy, player and broadcaster
15 - Tom Heinsohn, player, head coach and broadcaster
16 - Satch Sanders
17 - John Havlicek
18 - Jim Loscutoff (gave permission for number to still be worn)
18 - Dave Cowens (played after Loscutoff with the same number)
19 - Don Nelson
21 - Bill Sharman
22 - Ed Macauley
23 - Frank Ramsey
24 - Sam Jones
25 - K.C. Jones, player and head coach
31 - Cedric Maxwell
32 - Kevin McHale
33 - Larry Bird
35 - Reggie Lewis
A commemoriatve microphone hangs for announcer Johnny Most.
 
 
 
None retired
  
 
 
 
4 - Jerry Sloan
10 - Bob Love
23 - Michael Jordan
33 - Scottie Pippen
Phil Jackson, Head Coach (no number retired, just a lame banner)
Jerry Krause, General Manager. (Same. I guess this means no one else called Jerry Krause can be the Bulls GM.)
 
 
 
7 - Bingo Smith
22 - Larry Nance
25 - Mark Price
34 - Austin Carr
42 - Nate Thurmond
43 - Brad Daugherty
  
 
 
 
15 - Brad Davis
22 - Rolando Blackman
  
 
 
 
2 - Alex English
33 - David Thompson
40 - Byron Beck
 44 - Dan Issel, player, head coach, general manager
432 - Doug Moe, head coach (number of wins)
  
 
 
 
2 - Chuck Daly, Head Coach (number of championships won)
4 - Joe Dumars, player and president
11 - Isiah Thomas
15 - Vinnie Johnson
 16 - Bob Lanier
21 - Dave Bing
40 - Bill Laimbeer
Bill Davidson, owner (no number, just a banner)
Jack McCloskey (same)
 
 
 
13 - Wilt Chamberlain
14 - Tom Meschery
16 - Al Attles, player, head coach, executive
24 - Rick Barry
42 - Nate Thurmond
  
 
 
 
22 - Clyde Drexler
23 - Calvin Murphy, player and broadcaster
24 - Moses Malone
34 - Hakeem Olajuwon
45 - Rudy Tomjanovich, player and head coach
Former assistant coach and General Manager Carroll Dawson has a banner hung in his honour.
 
 
 
30 - George McGinnis
31 - Reggie Miller
34 - Mel Daniels
35 - Roger Brown
529 - Slick Leonard, head coach (number of wins)
  
 
 
 
None retired
  
 
 
 
13 - Wilt Chamberlain
22 - Elgin Baylor
25 - Gail Goodrich
32 - Magic Johnson, player and head coach
33 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
42 - James Worthy
44 - Jerry West, player, head coach, general manager
Microphone - Chick Hearn (the implication being that no one else can now use a microphone. Which seems silly. And incorrect)
 
 
 
None retired
  
 
 
 
10 - Tim Hardaway
13 - Dan Marino (for some reason; can still be worn)
23 - Michael Jordan (for equally stupid reasons; cannot still be worn)
33 - Alonzo Mourning
 
 
 
1 - Oscar Robertson
2 - Junior Bridgeman
4 - Sidney Moncrief
14 - Jon McGlocklin
 16 - Bob Lanier
32 - Brian Winters
33 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
 
 
 
2 - Malik Sealy (died under contract)
  
 
 
 
3 - Dražen Petrovic (died under contract)
4 - Wendell Ladner (died under contract)
23 - John Williamson
25 - Bill Melchionni
32 - Julius Erving
52 - Buck Williams
  
 
 
 
7 - Pete Maravich
13 - Bobby Phills (died under contract)
  
 
 
 
10 - Walt Frazier, player and broadcaster
12 - Dick Barnett
15 - Earl Monroe
15 - Dick McGuire, player, head coach, scout
19 - Willis Reed, player and head coach
 22 - Dave DeBusschere
24 - Bill Bradley
33 - Patrick Ewing
613 - Red Holzman, Head Coach (number of wins)
 
 
 
1 - Gus Williams
10 - Nate McMillan, player and head coach
19 - Lenny Wilkens, player and head coach
32 - Fred Brown
43 - Jack Sikma

(All as Sonics)
  
 
 
 
None retired, although number 6 used to be in a shameless PR stunt - the 6 representing the fans being the team's "sixth man". The number was unretired when the team signed Patrick Ewing who wanted to wear that number instead of 33, which was being used by Grant Hill. Bit selfish of him, but oh well. At least it's unretired. Whatever it takes.
 
 
 
2 - Moses Malone (not officially retired, but just not allowed)
6 - Julius Erving
10 - Maurice Cheeks
13 - Wilt Chamberlain
15 - Hal Greer
 24 - Bobby Jones
32 - Billy Cunningham, player and head coach
34 - Charles Barkley
Microphone - Dave Zinkoff
 
 
 
5 - Dick Van Arsdale
6 - Walter Davis
7 - Kevin Johnson
9 - Dan Majerle
24 - Tom Chambers
 33 - Alvan Adams
34 - Charles Barkley
42 - Connie Hawkins
44 - Paul Westphal, player and head coach
832 - Cotton Fitzsimmons, Head Coach (number of wins)
Joe Proski (former trainer; no number, just a banner)
 
 
 
1 - Larry Weinberg, team founder (number can still be worn by players)
13 - Dave Twardzik
14 - Lionel Hollins
15 - Larry Steele
20 - Maurice Lucas
22 - Clyde Drexler
 30 - retired for both Bob Gross and Terry Porter
32 - Bill Walton
36 - Lloyd Neal
45 - Geoff Petrie
77 - Dr. Jack Ramsay, Head Coach (number represents 1977, the year he and Portland won the title)
 
 
 
1 - Nate Archibald
2 - Mitch Richmond
4 - Chris Webber
6 - The fans (as sixth man. See Orlando)
11 - Bob Davies
12 - Maurice Stokes
14 - Oscar Robertson
21 - Vlade Divac
27 - Jack Twyman
44 - Sam Lacey
 
 
 
00 - Johnny Moore
6 - Avery Johnson
13 - James Silas
32 - Sean Elliott
44 - George Gervin
50 - David Robinson
  
 
 
 
None retired
  
 
 
 
1 - Frank Layden, Head Coach
4 - Adrian Dantley
7 - Pete Maravich
12 - John Stockton
 14 - Jeff Hornacek
32 - Karl Malone
35 - Darrell Griffith
53 - Mark Eaton
 
 
 
10 - Earl Monroe
11 - Elvin Hayes
25 - Gus Johnson
41 - Wes Unseld, player and head coach
 






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