NBA Retired Numbers

[rebelx]

I often wonder which NBA players not currently so honored will eventually have their numbers retired by the various organizations. I've made a list below of possible candidates, some active and some retired, by team. Any I've forgotten, or that are poor choices? Please feel free to discuss/give feedback; I want to see if my picks are completely off-base .

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Boston: #34 Pierce

New York: Haven't had any obviously retirement-worthy players recently, which is a real testament to the horror of the Dolan era. Is Allan Houston a remote possibility?

Philadelphia: #3 Iverson

Toronto: #15 Carter (This one is rather debatable. Carter was certainly instrumental in the franchise's rise to prominence and first postseason runs, and was there for 6 1/2 seasons, but he left town on such a bad note that it's hard to know if the fans and organization, in their minds, have "made amends" with him and consider his number worthy of eventual retirement. Time will tell, I suppose.) (Bosh is also a possibility if he stays a little longer)

New Jersey: #5 Kidd, #24 Jefferson

Chicago: Not right now, although Deng is a possibility, depending on his future performance.

Indiana: #7 O'Neal, #32 Davis, #45 Smits (I'm rather surprised the team hasn't given him this honor already)

Cleveland: #23 James, #11 Ilgauskas

Milwaukee: #34 Allen

Detroit: #22 Prince, #32 Hamilton, #1 Billups, #3 Wallace (kinda hard to figure out which, if any, of these guys WON'T have his number retired)

Charlotte: Not yet

Washington: #0 Arenas (he'll have to stay healthy), #4 Jamison

Miami: #3 Wade (Is Tim Hardaway possible at some future date? The impact he had on the team, along with 'Zo, is kind of hard to deny.)

Orlando: #12 Howard (Shaq and Penny are also possibilities, given their big contributions in their time there, but not sure)

Atlanta: Nobody's a lock yet, but Smith and Johnson might cinch it if they stick around long enough

Dallas: #41 Nowitzki, #4 Finley (one can make a case for Nash and/or Howard, but neither one is a sure thing)

San Antonio: #21 Duncan, #20 Ginobili, #9 Parker

Houston: #11 Yao

Memphis: Gasol has a case. Certainly nobody else, though.

New Orleans: Paul seems to be headed in that direction, but it's still too early to tell.

Portland: Give some of the young guys some time (Uncle Cliffy and 'Sheed are possible, but who knows?)

Denver: #15 Anthony (if Nene can stay healthy, he's a candidate as well)

OKC: No one yet (if we want to discuss the Sonics, assuming they're coming back some day, Payton and Lewis would be obvious choices)

Utah: #47 Kirilenko

Minnesota: #21 Garnett

Phoenix (ROH, of course): Nash, Stoudemire, Marion (Barbosa might if he has some more good years with them)

Clippers: Maggette and Brand could be the organization's first retired numbers, but knowing the Clippers, who knows if that will actually happen

Lakers: #34 O'Neal, Bryant (which number gets retired depends on how many more years he ends up wearing #24, and what he does while wearing it) (other teams would probably end up retiring the number of a guy like Fisher, but the Lakers are very selective with this honor, as witnessed by the fact that Coop's, Silk's, and A.C.'s numbers are still in circulation)

Sacramento: Bibby might be a borderline candidate

Golden State: No one from recent years, but why on earth Chris Mullin's #17 isn't in the rafters 8 years after his retirement is completely beyond me!

[dfwabel]

Most of your picks are offbase. Before you uptalk any more, you must at least read the summary of a the 2001 book by Jim Collins titled, "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" and even "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (best book of 2009 so far).

You list 90% of good (if that) players, and not great players.

Deng, Jefferson (Now SA), Prince, Hamilton, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, AK47, Magette, Brand, and Bibby all are B players at best, but that does not mean recognition. You have made average...great.

[Gary]

Most of your picks are offbase. Before you uptalk any more, you must at least read the summary of a the 2001 book by Jim Collins titled, "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" and even "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (best book of 2009 so far).

You list 90% of good (if that) players, and not great players.

Deng, Jefferson (Now SA), Prince, Hamilton, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, AK47, Magette, Brand, and Bibby all are B players at best, but that does not mean recognition. You have made average...great.

I do agree with you on some of the players you have posted. But the names of Hamilton, Bibby and Johnson I will say will have their numbers retired by the Pistons, Kings and Hawks when they retire, the way they have helped their teams do mean recognition in some cases.

[NEW.ERA]

The only number the Raptors will retire is that of there mascot #95

[rebelx]

Most of your picks are offbase. Before you uptalk any more, you must at least read the summary of a the 2001 book by Jim Collins titled, "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" and even "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (best book of 2009 so far).

You list 90% of good (if that) players, and not great players.

Deng, Jefferson (Now SA), Prince, Hamilton, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, AK47, Magette, Brand, and Bibby all are B players at best, but that does not mean recognition. You have made average...great.

One thing I want to point out to you: this list is based to some degree on the types of players who've had their numbers retired previously by the organizations in question. If you really look at teams' track records, you'll find that many retire numbers of players who were merely fan favorites (A. Johnson in SA, D. Twardzik in Portland, and J. Williamson in NJ are a couple of examples). Hence my logic in, say, Utah's retiring Kirilenko's number or Atlanta possibly retiring Smith's number. Keep in mind that this whole process is usually pretty irrespective of players' true greatness and eligibility for the Hall of Fame and such, so don't think I'm making any kind of argument for that.

That being said, might have to check out the recommended reading. I've heard Outliers is pretty good.

[FamousAtticus]

The only numbers that the Orlando Magic will retire eventually are:

Shaq #32 and Nick Anderson #25(he's the Magic's All-Time leader in various stats and well loved by the Magic fan base)

As well as Dwight Howard #12 in the future.

[Cujo]

I'd like to see the Heat unretire Michael Jordan's #23 for obvious reasons.

I wonder how that ceremony went down?.... "For the numerous times you posted forty on us, and making the Miami Heat your personal bitch from day one, we thank you Mike!"

[BBTV]

Is Shaq really worthy of number retirement for his time in Orlando? Or would it be more because he is an all-time great who played there for a while?

[rebelx]

Is Shaq really worthy of number retirement for his time in Orlando? Or would it be more because he is an all-time great who played there for a while?

Shaq is a possibility for Orlando mainly because his impact was tremendous, despite his mere four seasons there. He put the team on the map and got them to two Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. Penny helped, and was there for longer, which is why he's also a possible candidate for eventual number retirement, but truth be told, Shaq really was the main man on those teams. I can practically guarantee that the team would not have even reached the third round without him there.

Atticus, thanks for mentioning Nick Anderson. I didn't quite realize until now just how much he meant to the organization. Very solid numbers in his time there. A bit surprising that Orlando hasn't yet retired his number; are they perhaps waiting for the new arena to be finished?

[tBBP]

The only numbers that the Orlando Magic will retire eventually are:

Shaq #32 and Nick Anderson #25(he's the Magic's All-Time leader in various stats and well loved by the Magic fan base)

As well as Dwight Howard #12 in the future.

Can i take a quick second to mention that I REALLY love that shade of blue???

Orlando Magic, please revert to that shade.

[FamousAtticus]

The only numbers that the Orlando Magic will retire eventually are:

Shaq #32 and Nick Anderson #25(he's the Magic's All-Time leader in various stats and well loved by the Magic fan base)

As well as Dwight Howard #12 in the future.

Can i take a quick second to mention that I REALLY love that shade of blue???

Orlando Magic, please revert to that shade.

Agreed

[FamousAtticus]

Is Shaq really worthy of number retirement for his time in Orlando? Or would it be more because he is an all-time great who played there for a while?

Shaq is a possibility for Orlando mainly because his impact was tremendous, despite his mere four seasons there. He put the team on the map and got them to two Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. Penny helped, and was there for longer, which is why he's also a possible candidate for eventual number retirement, but truth be told, Shaq really was the main man on those teams. I can practically guarantee that the team would not have even reached the third round without him there.

Atticus, thanks for mentioning Nick Anderson. I didn't quite realize until now just how much he meant to the organization. Very solid numbers in his time there. A bit surprising that Orlando hasn't yet retired his number; are they perhaps waiting for the new arena to be finished?

The reasons you mentioned are exactly why I believe they will eventually retire Shaq's #32. I believe deep down in all true Orlando Magic fans heart's they would love for Shaq to retire as a Magic...probably won't happen, but he meant a lot to the organization and its fans.

I also think that Nick Anderson will have his number retired once they move into the new arena in 2010. I mean he's made such a great impact/success to the organization and the community in Orlando that not even a player since has dared to wear his #25.

[Still MIGHTY]

Based on how Shaq left Los Angeles, I don't think the Lakers will ever retire #34 for him.

Kobe's being retired is a given but it's more of a question to which number. I almost think that they may have to retire both 8 and 24. idk how that would go down, but regardless of how many more championships Kobe wins, I think 8 and 24 should be. I also think that if the Lakers had to choose they'd pick 24. I don't really have a reasoning, but just a gut feeling.

I also don't think the Clippers should ever get any. They'd just take up space for all the Lakers greatness

But seriously though, it'd be weird if the Clippers ever amount to anything that gives them a banner that would hang next to all the Lakers banners. The banners from all the other leagues look fine because they're all for different things. The Clippers win the division one year and that banner hangs next to the 15(+) Lakers NBA Championship banners. It would be weird to see two different banners from the same league next to each other.

[logodawg]

Detroit: #22 Prince, #32 Hamilton, #1 Billups, #3 Wallace (kinda hard to figure out which, if any, of these guys WON'T have his number retired)

Out of that group the only one I really see getting his number retired is Billups. Billups was the defacto leader of the team, was (and still is) beloved by fans, and left on good terms.

Prince and Hamilton might have a shot, but I think it will have a lot to do with what they do in the next few years now that Billups is gone.

[rebelx]

Based on how Shaq left Los Angeles, I don't think the Lakers will ever retire #34 for him.

You must be joking. The bitterness that accompanied Shaq's trade to Miami was not nearly enough to erase the eight years of unmitigated greatness that he attained while with us, nor the three championships and four division titles that he was the key or second most important component of. Besides, I think Phil, Kobe, and the organization have mostly forgiven him by now.

[rebelx]

Detroit: #22 Prince, #32 Hamilton, #1 Billups, #3 Wallace (kinda hard to figure out which, if any, of these guys WON'T have his number retired)

Out of that group the only one I really see getting his number retired is Billups. Billups was the defacto leader of the team, was (and still is) beloved by fans, and left on good terms.

Prince and Hamilton might have a shot, but I think it will have a lot to do with what they do in the next few years now that Billups is gone.

Well, I'm just saying, if four of the Bad Boys had their numbers retired (and conceivably, Rodman might have been the recipient of the same honor if it hadn't been for all his off-court s**t), one can easily imagine four players from this era having the same. The Pistons don't seem ultra-picky about this sort of thing whenever their teams experience any sort of brush with greatness .

[knnhrvy16]

As an avid Jazz fan, I can see how Kirilenko would be a maybe, but i'm not too sure. I'll be honest and say that i can't see a #47 hanging from the rafters at the ESA, not until he plays to the level we're paying him at least.

I'd personally much rather see players like Antoine Carr or Chris Morris get thier numbers retired, because they were key parts in our back-to-back Western Conference championships in 1997 and 1998. Adam Keefe would be a LONG shot, but understandable if it happened, at least to me.

As for Jazz men today, i'd absolutely love to see Matt Harpring get his retired. He may not have been a superstar or anything for us but in my opinion he's been our most consistent player for a long time now and everyone here in Utah loves him.

[Starchild]

New York: Haven't had any obviously retirement-worthy players recently, which is a real testament to the horror of the Dolan era. Is Allan Houston a remote possibility?

No shot at Houston getting retired. Considering Bernard King, Charles Oakley and John Starks haven't gotten the honor, Houston definitely won't. I really don't know who the next Knick to be retired will be. I still think it should be King, but it may be a long time before the Knicks see a player worthy of being retired.

Unless, of course, You-Know-Who comes around.

[dfwabel]

The only numbers that the Orlando Magic will retire eventually are:

Shaq #32 and Nick Anderson #25(he's the Magic's All-Time leader in various stats and well loved by the Magic fan base)

As well as Dwight Howard #12 in the future.

The 4:40 mark= the legacy of Nick the Brick.

[LEWJ]

The only numbers that the Orlando Magic will retire eventually are:

Shaq #32 and Nick Anderson #25(he's the Magic's All-Time leader in various stats and well loved by the Magic fan base)

As well as Dwight Howard #12 in the future.

The 4:40 mark= the legacy of Nick the Brick.

Dang. Makes me feel bad for the guy.

I woulda cried for days.

And man, kenny smith, I love that guy. Just now for what he did here haha.

btw, the user who posted that video is using SyPhi's bulls logo as his 'avatar' (i think it was SyPhi..?)