David Stern Should Retire No. 23
The G.O.A.T.In an interesting article by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, they brought up the fact that LeBron James might be switching his number in the near future. I know what you’re thinking. It’s not because the Knicks have already retired a No. 23, because they haven’t. But after an amazing gold medal campaign, LBJ has grown to love No. 6. So much so in fact, that during a game in late December, James warmed up for a Cavs game wearing a jersey with No. 6 and later wore it on the bench during the game.
Wearing No. 6, though, has become somewhat standard for James. Ever since his triumphant summer wearing the number for Team USA – which James has said was the best experience of his career – he wears the number during practices and workouts as a homage to that gold-medal effort and all the work that went into it. Often when he gives autographed jerseys as gifts to friends or special causes these days, he’ll sign an Olympic No. 6 jersey.
“If the NBA retired 23 because of Michael (Jordan) like baseball did with Jackie Robinson (42), I would definitely switch it. Maybe I would someday, we’ll see.”
Intrigued by this idea, I did a little digging. On April 15, 1997, Robinson’s No. 42 was retired by Major League Baseball, meaning that no future player on any major league team could wear it. At the same time, players currently wearing No. 42 were allowed to continue wearing it, thereby grandfathering the number’s retirement. Today, the only player left is the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera.
So what do you think? With Jordan finally being included on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, I think it would be a great gesture for David Stern and the League to retire MJ’s 23 a la Robinson in ’97. The only guys it would affect are: James (Cavs), C.J. Watson (Warriors), Stephen Graham (Pacers), Marcus Camby (Clippers), Devin Brown (Hornets), Quentin Richardson (Knicks), Louis Williams (Sixers), Jason Richardson (Suns) and Kevin Martin (Kings), with Q-Rich, J-Rich and K-Mart all being Jordan Brand guys, selected by MJ himself.
Do you think the League should retire Jordan’s No. 23?
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
-->
February 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Celts Fan says:
yes
February 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Yes, they should have done it a long time ago
February 16th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Hollyhood says:
YESSS
February 16th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
marcus the great says:
sounds good to me.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Meica says:
I think this one’s a no-brainer. What a nice idea.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
loganlight says:
Yes. Great idea.
LL
February 16th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
srb says:
If they retire 23, they should also retire 32 and 33
February 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
the_don_mega says:
AMEN TO THAT!
February 16th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
nckdmss says:
The league should not retire Jordon’s number.
Jackie Robinson’s number was retired due to his immense contribution to the game of baseball. This contribution was not, however, measured by simple statistics. Robinson was honored for his role in breaking down the color barrier that had stood in baseball since its creation. His ability on the field as an athlete was not the overriding reason for his number being retired by MLB.
Michael Jordon is one of, if not the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. He is not, however, someone who changed the game of basketball in the same manner that Robinson did. Are his numbers ridiculous? Yes. Did he establish himself as a legend of the game? Certainly. Does that warrant league-wide recognition in the same vein as that given to Jackie Robinson? Not even close.
NBA teams retire the numbers of great players who have donned their jerseys on the hard court. This is not a job for the NBA as a whole, barring an incredible contribution to the game as a whole.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Prof. TX says:
Jackie Robinson had a much greater impact. MJ won some titles (though not the most) and sold alot of shoes. Robinson got ‘colored’ players to be seen as equal to the other athletes. He got white fans to watch someone other than white players. Nobody will ever break the color barrier again, it was a historic and one-time event, but there is still room for someone to be better than Jordan.
I would think that helping to change how people are seen in this country is greater than helping to change how cross-product marketing is done. Let’s not confuse history with publicity.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Detroit Dave says:
no
February 16th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
SteveNash says:
Nah… if thats the case you have to look at wilt and bill russell
February 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
YOUNGFED..."In Detroit they call me the black Phillip Drummond" says:
They need to retire YOUNGFED’S #…….#ONE!!!!!
lol
February 16th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Detroit Dave says:
MJ benefited from coming thru in an era where EVERYONE had television in the homes. He benefits from the HUGE MARKETING strategies by NIKE, McDonalds an Gatorade. I am in no way stating that he wasn’t or can’t be considered the GOAT. I just don’t feel that his “on the court” accomplishments merit a “league wide” jersey retirement any more than Bill Russell, Magic or Oscar Robertson… If you ask 4 legit NBA personalities from 4 different eras who the G.O.A.T is you will get 4 different replies… Maybe they could do something else to honor MJ, but to me Jackie Robinson is an AMERICAN HERO. The man broke the color barrier…. I have never heard that J-Robinson’s number was retired because of his talent, but it was a culmination of courage, talent, focus, patience and bravery.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Detroit Dave says:
#9 you hit it right on the money
February 16th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Max says:
No. Jordan’s impact as the greatest player was very substantial, on the court and in terms of global marketing. But socially he didn’t have a fraction of the impact of Jackie Robinshon — if anything, he was apolitical and all too beholden to his sponsors. Look at how proud Lebron was of his gold medal, and compare that to Mike covering himself in the flag so he wouldn’t have to pimp Reebok…disgraceful.
No, no, no – don’t retire the number, unless you’re going to start retiring Magic’s and Oscar Robertson’s and Wilt’s etc.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Muhammed Ali > Michael Jordan
February 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Could you imagine Muhammed Ali in 1965 having the internet on his side?
February 16th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Bobby says:
Ridiculous idea.
Post #9 has it right.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Sanpitch says:
No.
agree with #9.
But what did Jordan do for the 28 other teams he never played for? Made their life hell for some but that’s it.
I’m saying a big Hell no!
I like Jordan and all, but get off the dude’s nuts.
I’d say retire Wilt’s # or Russell’s number before Jordan’s.
Saying to retire his number means you are a Jordan homer.
I am sure Celtics fan wouldn’t have traded Bird for Jordan. They did pretty good without Jordan. Lakers fans wouldn’t have traded Magic for Jordan and they did pretty damn good without Jordan.
Open your damn eyes and see that not everyone bleeds Jordan.
good point 16.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
rob stewart says:
No. Sooner or later you will run out of numbers. What are the Lakers and Celtics going to do if they keep retiring numbers. Pretty soon basketball jerseys will have to be 3 digits long. And I know Rodman wishes he could wear 666. I can see Artest wearing 187. It could really get out of hand.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Rafa23 says:
I think marc cuban has already retired # 23 in dallas…
February 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Rafa23 says:
marK cuban
February 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
GEE..."Wild like an Uncle Luke Concert!" says:
Yes most def, they should do it. For what Money has done for the sport globally and the game he deserves that.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
I hated Jordan when I was younger, even now every one is all up on his jock, I’m a laker fan thru and thru, but I do respect how he helped globalize the game
February 16th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Ashlov says:
If you retire Jordan’s number, there’s a list of other players who deserve it as well. It’d be disrespectful to just retire his.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
nick says:
agree with post #9.
also the league would have to retire more then just mj’s jersey, would need to retire russell, wilt,oscar, etc.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Wake says:
An American Hero? Should he be a black president? Should he land a crashing plane? What are the requirements? Die for humanity? What should Michael Jordan do? He will never do or be those things. People will always find a reason to say “No.”.
“No because he isn’t like Jackie Robinson.”
“No because he didn’t make an impact off the court.”
“No no no no because.”
What?
He played the game right. He loved the game. He respected the game. Everyone saw that. He may not bring equality or anything an American Hero is suppose to do but he made people want to play basketball. That’s the best thing you can do for the sport. By just playing he influenced a generation of people to play. He made people take notice.
But sometimes the simplest of reasons is more than enough.
He was the best.
Retire the man’s number.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
dagwaller says:
What nckdmss said back on post 9.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Kudabeen says:
While MJ is highly held as the greatest player ever (not by me as much) I think he would be worthy of such a praise. It is a slippery slope though…How many other Hall of Fame level players (Brand-wise) wore/wear 23? Could you retire 13 and 6? The men who revolutionized the game and have done unmatchable things on and off the court. It’s tough to do it, but I would assume Stern would be more partial to MJ, since he really elevated the game (Brand-wise and being a Hero figure) and Sterns success as a commissioner to a large degree.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Brown says:
The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky’s #99 because of his immense contributions to the sport. He’s also arguably the G.O.A.T. He inspired generations of hockey players the same way Jordan did for ball players. They were both the face of their respective leagues/sports and helped globalize the game.
Jordan changed the way the game is played and no player in history has had as big an impact on the game as he had. Put simply, millions of people became basketball fans just because they wanted to watch MJ play. You can’t say that for any other player in the history of the sport.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
method526 says:
j-rich is part of jordan brand?
February 16th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
bruce says:
Almost two decades later, some of us still have the Gatorade jingles in our minds…….Sometimes, I dream that he is me……….I wanna be like Mike……….
February 16th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
doc says:
No.He aint play for every team and he aint break no color barrier.We booed his ass in Philly.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Sanpitch says:
Have the NBA retire his number because he is arguably the GOAT. Sounds like the dumbest damn reason to me.
People in Boston will say Larry “Legend” Bird or Bill “more rings than fingers” Russell was the GOAT.
People in LA will say Magic, Kareem, Mikan or Wilt was the GOAT.
People in Milwaukee will say the Big O was the GOAT.
Sounds like a PR nightmare to go that route. Next thing you know every number is retired and no one can wear one.
After the co-MVP stunt last night, I would probably quit watching the NBA if they did that.
It would be a dumb, dumb move.
MJ being the “best” is debatable. And for the NBA to treat him as if he was the “best” would piss a lot of people off.
Hell even the whole “he changed the way the game is played” is arguable. Dr. J was playing above the rim before Jordan was drafted. Larry “Legend” already had a few game-winners in his bag before MJ ran up and down the Chicago practice floor. Jerry West already made more clutch shots than Wilt had women before MJ graced us all with his presence. Willis Reed already played with a broken leg before MJ played with the flu.
This would be a huge mistake. Love the guy but come on. Use your head people. Don’t get caught up in the hype.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Evan says:
Do players get a percentage of their jersey sales? Do teams? I find it kind of annoying when players change their number mid-career a la Kobe. You would think it would have a marketing effect for sure – maybe positive or negative. However, if they get a percentage of their sales, it might be a smart move.
How many owned a Kobe #8 jersey that eventually re-purchased a Kobe jersey for #24? If Lebron changed to #6, how much extra cash would that bring in for new jersey sales!?
…I am in love with Jordan as much as anyone (pause. no homo), but I think #9 post really does have it right. No one on the Bulls can wear 23 – that’s enough. Although if they do retire 23 league wide, I won’t be upset – it’s a nice gesture, but I won’t lobby for it.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Desrat says:
Jordan is GOAT. He is not in the class of Jackie though. Baseball was in a position to actually take a meaningful role in the development of American Culture, and Jackie was the right man at the right time. Jordan also changed American Culture. Jackie is one of the Giants whose shoulders President Obama stood on. Jordan made it highly profitable for an American corporation to export jobs to Indonesia that damage both the Indonesian people and the American people.
Bottom line: they both just ball players. They became the hooks that we could hang dreams on. Both of them are products of their time, When Jackie was playing the good guys won, when MJ was playing the marketing departments and international corporations won. I doubt that my kids will look back in a American studies class and think, “Damn that MJ dude changed the world” What Jackie did made us a better people, and what Jordan did made people think that things are more important than people.
Give MJ props, but only retire the numbers (league wide) of those men that changed the world for the better.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Ed The Sports Fan says:
They should not retire the #23, do you all not remember the exploits of Calvin Murphy???
Good Gollee!
-Ed.
http://www.edthesportsfan.com
February 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Ian says:
post 9 agree
this is a joke if jordans number is retired they should retire like 10 more numbers just because of how they played.
and sanpitch is right this shit of the goat is debatable
aron comparing robinson to jordan is a joke my man not even in the same planet the impact they both had.
i rather the nba retire the first black player numbers or the last white player
February 16th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
NewYorkDaredevil says:
Have you considered the other side of this argument?
If people keep retiring numbers left and right… How are you supposed to emulate the players that inspired you?
Some players choose their number to honor those players. In other sports, like soccer, it is an honor to receive the number of a former legend and a responsibility to live up to the hype.
i.e. Manchester United No.7 Eric Cantona (1992-1997) David Beckham (1997-2003) Cristiano Ronaldo (2003- Present)
February 16th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
You cannot compare Robinson to Jordan.
AP should have compared Hockey’s Gretzky to NBA’s Jordan.
I think the NHL has retired the #99 Wayne sported, if i’m wrong i’m incredibly and deeply sorry.
But assuming i’m right, if they can do it for Gretzky, why not MJ ?
February 16th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Detroit Dave says:
In the 60′s guys averaged 30ppg with no 3pt shot and no (And 1) continuation.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Dave were not in the 60′s
February 16th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Ian says:
george
i think no one touches the great one i think its the only sport were there is a clear cut goat and he doesnt get the jordan hate by fans of other teams i think. theres no way u can convince a person that watched russell and wilt do their thing that jordan is better.
drink
i think what dave meant is that it was prob more impressive back then to score 30.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Donnie Nelson (MAVS ASST) says:
Ian– You mean like Kobe’s 81 is more impressive than Wilt’s 100.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
cesar says:
agree with #28
February 16th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Dragonyeuw says:
Wayne Gretzky’s 99 is retired by the NHL. Jordan was no less dominant in his sport than Gretzky was in hockey,and certainly Jordan is a far bigger global icon. Jordan is not only probably the greatest player ever, but one of the great athletes in sports history. I say yes…
February 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
Being that no one was allowed to bodycheck Gretzky makes it a lil fucked up. But MJ was no less of a dominating player than 99 was, they were both clearly viewed as the best ever when they retired.
Its easier to knock Jordan 11 years after his 1998 championship, 11 years after hearing Magic Johnson state on a nightly basis we’re not going to see this again for a long ass time. Anybody who knows anything knows that the game is just as fast now as it was in ’98, but ’98 was lightyears faster than when Russell, Wilt or Oscar played.
February 16th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Brandon @ BB says:
It would be a nice gesture. But it doesn’t really matter. Everyone knows that 23 is synonymous with Michael Jordan. It doesn’t matter what LBJ, or anyone else does wearing the 2-3, they’ll never create their identity around the number like MJ did.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
John says:
Well, for me that lived in Brazil and now in Italy, Jordan is the NBA. Outside US, there is not much more than MJ. Yesterday a friend that dont now anything about basket came to my house to wacth the All-Star (actually he came just for the free food)but I asked him if he knew it anybody, and he said that once he had heard about Shaq , but the only player that he knew it was MJ. “Yes, Chcago Bulls, red 23 Michael Jordan” ,,,
February 16th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Marques says:
I agree with post #9. Michael Jordan is my favorite basketball player of all time. But he didn’t do what Jackie Robinson did for baseball. Jordan changed the game from when Dr. J was playing, but you can say that for several players. If basketball did that for every other player, guys like Stockton, Magic, Kareem, Wilt, and so on will have their jersey retired by the NBA. Soon there will be no jersey numbers to wear, because you can make a case for several NBA players that impacted the game the same way Jordan did.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
LakeShow84 says:
But Jordan did make B-ball what it is.. The lack of true bigs nowadays.. the presence of ballhogs.. the players interested more in marketing.. So is all that good??
I dont know what my answer is.. He hurt the game as much as he helped it..
But it could be said without Jackie Robinson there would be no Michael Jordan..
February 16th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
downunder says:
are you kidding? MJ made nba basketball what it is today… not just commercially, but 25% of the league is now foreign and players everywhere have based and continue to base their game on his. i’m from australia, where basketball is finally growing again as a popular sport here, ask anyone worldwide who they recognise more and has done more for their sports, MJ wins hands down everytime. I guarantee outside of america and possibly japan and cuba, not as many ppl have heard of Jackie Robinson. Oh yeah, have i mentioned MJ made basketball global… i understand it was being played around the world, but it wasn’t popular around the world until MJ came along.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
dacho says:
Since when did the NBA start following the NHL. So what if the NHL retired Gretzky? That has no relevance to whether the NBA should do the same… I agree with #9.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Ian says:
dacho exactly
donnie
not even close wilts was more impressive 100 is one fucking hundred
February 16th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Termignoni says:
They should retire MJ’s 23 league wide. Nobody has evercome close to what he has accomplished. At 6’6 and as a shooting guard, he dominated the game and ruled above everybody else. Shaq, Russel and Chamberlain were big guys. They were centers. MJ was a guard. That alone says theyre not even in the same league as he was. Bottomline- they should retire the number league wide. MJ is a GOD!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
N-Truh-Kit says:
if someone mentioned this already then i apologize but…
aren’t there a handful of teams that have already retired 23 due to Jordan alone? so if the nba does it as a whole and it goes for EVERY team then is it really that big of a deal?
February 17th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Yucca Man says:
Absolutely NOT.
Really, Jordan homers …
Nobody has ever changed a sport (or even all sports, I would argue) more than baseball’s generally acceped GOAT—Babe Ruth. And here’s the thing … Babe Ruth’s number isn’t retired by MLB.
Jackie Robinson’s retired number has very little to do with in-game accomplishments. We’re talking about a guy who many would argue wasn’t even the best at his position of all time, let alone the sport’s GOAT. Jackie’s honored because of what he went through as the first black baseball player; he’s honored because MLB can thank him for helping baseball be a kind of forerunner to the US’s civil rights movement; he’s honored as a way to acknowledge all the black players before him who were not given the chance to prove how good they were.
But honoring Jordan in a similar way … let’s get real. It’s not like Jordan was THAT much better than anyone else. And it’s not absurd to think that someone may come along who’s better.
But here’s the real issue. Jackie Robinson is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever had the opportunity to learn about. Seriously, read about his life and accomplishments in college and WWII. Read about his exploits in the Negro Leagues and get a feel for his personality. Read about what he went through during his first couple of years on the Dodgers, the threats, the bigotry, the violence from opponents, the animosity from his own teammates. And then think about how he eventually won them all over because of the kind of man he was. That is someone worth giving the honor MLB has given him.
Jordan … he was great. His feats on the basketball court were pretty magnificent to witness. But I can’t think of a single thing about the man that leaves me feeling inspired the way Jackie does.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Pioneer says:
Of course they should not retire his numbers. Is he the greatest of all time? Perhaps, but you could argue Russell and a couple other guys belong up there as well. If you retire 23, you have to retire #6 and a couple other numbers as well.
As its been said previously, Jordan doesn’t even compare to Jackie Robinson in terms of social progress. This is just another case of people not being able to let go of the MJ era.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Utes Fan says:
That would be retarded. Jordan wore 23, and so does LeBron.
Magic wore 32, so does Shaq, so did Karl Malone and Kevin McHale. Oh wait so did Charles Barkley for a year. Well hell retire that one too.
While we’re at it, 33 has been put to good use, what with Bird, Kareem, Ewing, Pippen. So throw that one up in the rafters too.
Well how bout 34, um Shaq wore it, so did Hakeem and Chuck. Well hell retire that one too.
How bout 21, well Duncan wears it, and Garnett wore it. Since they both are still playing it has a few years of use left in it. But wait Dominique Wilkins wore that, so maybe it should be hung up and TD can select a new jersey.
KG already did when he went to Boston number 5. He and Boozer wear number 5 right now, and Jason Kidd wore it for the best years of his career. Does that warrant a retirement ceremony? Maybe.
If LeBron switches to 6, well Bill Russell wore that one, so it should already be hanging up in every arena next to all the previously mentioned jerseys. So LeBron will have to maybe choose 7, but wait Pistol Pete wore 7 so how bout 8, well Kobe already wore it and currently Deron Williams wears it. Maybe if he gets Kobe’s permission he can wear 8 since we eliminated 6 and 7, of course KG probably will share 5 if he wants that.
OR the stupid idea of retiring jersey number 23 throughout the league will be put to rest. Let the Bulls retire 23 as they have. Jordan has been honored. He is the best player YET. Let it be.
February 17th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Hewhoisnot says:
MJ changed the entire landscape of basketball, not just the NBA. Shoe contracts, the fade away, the dunks, the no hand checking rule so someone could finally avg 30ppg again, the zone defense’s because too many ppl were trying to “be like mike”. That’s besides his numbers and Finals MVps, season MVps, scoring titles, scoring avg, stls, and career %50 fg as a SG. Pat Riley new the deal, that’s why 23 is retired in MIA. You guys are either idiots, haters, or to young to understand what Mike did for SPORTS as a whole, not just basketball. Oh and as for the color barrier, know that Mike had giant billboards in Barcalona (sp?) before he ever step foot there. you think that may have helped some other countries respect Black people, let alone Americans as a whole.
February 17th, 2009 at 5:43 am
q says:
#9, He’s JordAN, not JordOn.
Of course they must retire 23…
February 17th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Lucas says:
I have a couple of points of my own:
1. Wilt and Russell played in an era where seven footers were rare. Now there’s at least one on every team. It’s a lot easier to score and grab tons of rebounds over people that you tower over. I’m not saying they aren’t legends, but it should be taken into consideration.
2. Minimizing MJ’s accomplishments just because he didn’t happen to be born during segregation is ignorant. If they switched places, do you think that Jackie Robinson would be considered a lesser player because of it?
February 17th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Lonman says:
At first (because I’ve always been a HUGE Jordan fan), I said yes to retiring his number. After reading many comments, many good points were made. Just because he made millions and made life a living hell for others during his era, he didn’t change the game near as much. If you’re going to retire a number have it be George Mikan. HE changed the game
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
GJ says:
Dont worry about players who want to honor their heroes… by wearing their numbers, or numbers that remind them of em…
VC always wanted to wear 23, but never got the chance when he was young…
His mom told him to pick a number of his own, he choose 15…
15, 1+5=6
For some reason the number 6 (also worn by Bill Russel and dr.J) is legendary.
Jordan and his 23, 2×3=6 (and his olympic no.9 is a 6 upside down)
Lebron and his 23, same thing. Guess what this guy wore during the olympics… Man, even his shoes wear the name “The Six”, written in letters, not a roman number or anything like that.
Pippen, Kareem, Bird etc etc etc, with their 33, well 3+3=6
Along comes Magic and a bunch of others with their 32, 3×2=… well you do the math!
Same thing for Kobe’s 24, some even say this his number 8 origanally came from a 33 (read 6), since that was his number in high school. Let me explain this one:
Since the Lakers retired that number, cuz of Kareem, he had to pick another number. He choose the 8. What happens of you flip a number 3 arround and than put it on another 3… You will have an 8…. So here again, the 6 had some influence.
My point: retire number 6 on all franchises, players will be creative enough to somehow refer to it, like Mike and all the others did as well.
April 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Sal says:
I can’t believe some of the naysayers out there. There are no words to describe what Michael Jordan did for the game. Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky are now the only players who have their numbers retired league wide. There was a comment made that Jordan’s number shouldn’t be retired because he didn’t do anything significant. Wayne Gretzky didn’t break a barrier in his sport and he got his number retired. Not only should they retire his number, they need to change the NBA logo to MJ as well.
May 6th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Scott says:
Absolute, MJ’s number should be retired and this is a long time coming. I don’t like using the Jackie Robinson example because he is someone that not only changed baseball, but cultural in-general.
It would be more appropriate to compare retiring MJ’s number throughout the NBA to what the NHL did by retiring Wayne Gretsky’s number.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
HL says:
Thank you #62, it is in fact JORDAN!!! I am a 30 year old female and Jordan has been my idol since i was about 10 years old. I idolized this man. Watching him play the game of basketball was what i lived for growing up. I lived and breathed Jordan and the Bulls. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MICHAEL JORDAN! Don’t compare him to any other player, whether it be in basketball, baseball, etc. I would give anything to be able to watch this man play one more game. I miss that adrenaline rush i would get watching him take over a game, making the game winning shot. Pay the man the respect he deserves, retire his damn number. Nobody else is worthy of wearing the number 23!!!
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Lou Kwarm says:
Shot callers: I would agree with some of y’all but the columnist failed to mention another ## that was retired league wide the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky of the NHL.
His main contribution to the sport of hockey was marketing and wicked stats, just like MJ.
To those peeps who talk about Jackie R. being ‘colored’ and tying its significance to retiring his #42, I want to say that Wayne Gretzky is white and broke no ‘color’ barrier to get his #99 retired.
Point is, I think his WG’s #99 was retired league wide by the NHL mainly because of his contribution (stats and marketing) to the game of hockey.
MJ’s number should have been retired even before he entered the B-Ball “Hall” of immortality.