Say Goodbye To These Numbers

Needless to say, this makes the jersey retirement selection process that much more difficult. Is it better to be decent for a long time or great in a relatively short period? Retiring a number is typically a symbol of longevity as well as prosperity that says no one can ever wear that particular jersey better. Here are the players we feel will have their jerseys retired soon enough.

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Kobe Bryant #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant has two numbers as a Laker, but is there any doubt both will be retired? Maybe some, but considering the achievements it's hard to argue one should get retired and not the other. As #8 from ’97-06, Kobe won three titles with L.A. (’00, ’01 and ’02) and as #24 from ’07-12 he won two championships and Finals MVPs ('09 and '10) as well as a League MVP in ’08. Add it all up and Bryant is the Lakers franchise leader in games played (1,121) and minutes (40,832), second in field goals made (9,915; 20 behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), first in three-point field goals made (1,438), second in free throws made (7,149; 11 behind Jerry West), seventh in total rebounds (5,931; 9 behind sixth-place Vern Mikkelsen), third in assists (5,255), second in steals (1,676; 48 behind Magic Johnson) and first in points (28,417). If there’s anyone who deserves two jerseys, it’s Kobe who, whenever he decides to stop playing, will join fellow Lakers #13 Wilt Chamberlain, #22 Elgin Baylor, #25 Gail Goodrich, #32 Magic, #33 Kareem, #42 James Worthy and #44 West.

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Tim Duncan made his mark in San Antonio right out of the gate winning the NBA Rookie of the Year in ’98, and then in his second year he copped a title and the ’99 Finals MVP. Since then, Duncan has churned out two more Finals MVPs (’03 and ’05), two League MVPs (’02 and ’03) and was the focal point on all four championships in team history. He’s the franchise leader in games played (1,070), minutes (38,196) and total rebounds (12,137). He’s also second in field goals made (8,450), second in points (21,892; 1,710 behind George Gervin), second in blocks (2,398; 556 behind David Robinson) and fourth in assists (3,345). At 35, Duncan’s glory days are behind him, but his fundamentals and bank shots just outside the paint are not. #21 could hang it up today and his uniform will promptly be retired right beside Johnny Moore’s #00, Avery Johnson’s #6, James Silas’ #13, Sean Elliot’s #32, Gervin’s #44 and Robinson’s #50. Bruce Bowen’s #12 is set to be retired later this year for the Spurs.

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In his fourteenth season with Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki is the Mavs all-time leader in games played (1,009), minutes (36,730), field goals made (8,061), three-point field goals made (1,205), free throws made (5,745), total rebounds (8,402) and points (23,072). He’s also second in steals (897) and blocks (992). Dirk has led the Mavericks to the playoffs and 50-win seasons every year since ’01 and brought home the only championship and Finals MVP in franchise history in ’11. The ’07 NBA MVP, Nowitzki is the Mavericks. At 33 the German is entering his twilight and his phenomenal shooting touch for a 7-footer may soon fade, but he could never play again and his #41 would be the third jersey retired by Dallas after Brad Davis’ #15 and Rolando Blackman’s #22.

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Boston has retired twenty-one numbers (too many to list, so we’ll spare you), but when Paul Pierce finally decides to hang up his jersey, his #34 will surely make it twenty-two. Pierce is third in the storied franchise’s history in games played (977) and minutes (36,133), fourth in field goals made (7,079), first in three-point field goals made (1,599), first in free throws made (5,867), seventh in total rebounds (5,912), fifth in assists (3,723), second in steals (1,441), fifth in blocks (617) and third in points (21,624; only 167 behind second-place Larry Bird). The Truth is also one of only three Celtics to score 20,000 points in his career, with Bird and John Havlicek being the others. Sure, compared to Bill Russell’s eleven titles or [insert all-time Celtic great here], Pierce’s one chip in ’08 (including the Finals MVP) doesn’t look like much. But his individual numbers are right there with the best in team history and there's still more to come. #34 will be raised.

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Before he was traded to Boston in 2007, Kevin Garnett spent twelve years with the team that drafted him in ’95 and is the Timberwolves franchise leader in games played (927), minutes (35,535), field goals made (7,575), free throws made (3,727), total rebounds (10,542), assists (4,146), steals (1,282), blocks (1,576) and points (19,041). Like Nowitzki is the Mavericks, KG was the Timberwolves. All eight of Minnesota’s playoff appearances in franchise history have come under the lead of Garnett and he won the ’04 MVP along the way. Although he’s had more team success later in his career with Boston, we don’t think the Celtics will put his #5 to rest. But his #21, however, should be right beside Malik Sealy’s #2 (honored for his death in 2000) as the only numbers retired by the T-Wolves. If it's not, no one's will be.

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After recently turning 30, Dwyane Wade is now in his ninth season with the Heat and is the franchise’s all-time leader in minutes (20,857), field goals made (4,944), free throws made (3,887), points (14,084) assists (3,521) and steals (991). And remember, he’s not showing signs of slowing down. He’s got handful of All-Star caliber years left to expand this lead. D-Wade’s also second in games played (37 behind Alonzo Mourning), third in blocks (47 behind second-place Rony Seikaly), and fifth in total rebounds (459 behind fourth-place Grant Long). So he’s been racking up the numbers on some poor teams, right? Hardly. The Heat has only missed the playoffs once in eight tries since the team drafted Wade in ’03-04. If that’s not enough, he’s also led Miami to its only championship in ’06 and took home the lone Finals MVP in franchise history. When he calls it quits, Wade’s #3 will join Tim Hardaway’s #10 and Mourning’s #33 and as the only other Miami players to have their jerseys retired [Michael Jordan’s #23 is also retired by the Heat despite never wearing the uniform].

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It feels like Spurs point guard Tony Parker has been around long enough to practically have his jersey retired already, but he’s still only 29. Currently in his eleventh season with San Antonio, Parker has been somewhat hidden in the illustrious shadows of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich in the team’s title runs, but Parker deserves his #9 to hang up in those rafters, too. Being a starter on three championship teams looms large, especially considering he copped the ’07 Finals MVP. Fours are wild for the Frenchman as Parker is fourth in Spurs history in games played with 764, fourth in minutes with 25,187, fourth in field goals made with 5,093, and fourth in points with 12,800. He also sits second in assists at 4,431, just 44 shy of surpassing Avery Johnson for the lead. Still playing at a high level, Parker has ample time to cement his legacy as one of the best in Spurs history.

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Steve Nash didn’t join the Suns until ’04-05 at age 30 and in his ninth year, and at the time no one could have guessed he’d resurrect his career to the point of being under consideration for his #13 to be retired. But after the move from Dallas for his second go-around in Phoenix, he’s won two MVPs (’05 and ’06), has led the Suns to three Western Conference Finals (’05, ’06 and ’10) and has taken the NBA’s assist crown five times (’05, ’06, ’06, ’10 and ’11). Nash is third in Suns history with 697 games played, first in three-point field goals made with 1,013 and second in assists with 6,485, but only a few good games (33 assists) behind Kevin Johnson for his rightful place atop that category. A maestro at controlling the tempo of a game, for six straight seasons from ’04-05 to ’10-11, Nash orchestrated the Suns to the League’s top offensive unit. Shockingly at 37 and in his sixteenth NBA season, Nash isn’t really slowing down; he’s currently the ’11-12 league leader in assists per game with 10.1. The other Suns to have their jerseys retired: #5 Dick Van Arsdale, #6 Walter Davis, #7 Johnson, #9 Dan Majerle, #24 Tom Chambers, #33 Alvin Adams, #34 Charles Barkley, #42 Connie Hawkins, #44 Paul Westphal and #832 representing Cotton Fitzsimmons’ number of wins as a head coach.

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Like Parker, Manu Ginobili isn’t the first guy who comes to mind when reminiscing about the Spurs' recent dynasty, but would San Antonio have reach such prominence without #20? Ginobili too, has never been on a team that’s won less than 50 games since joining the team in ’02-03, and he was an instrumental piece in three titles (’03, ’05, ’07), whether he started or came off the bench to provide his signature spark. The ’08 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Manu is seventh in games played as a Spur (638), first in three-point field goals made (972), sixth in assists (2482), fifth in steals (966) and seventh in points (9761). It’s a shame his 34-year-old body has taken such a pounding over the years causing him to miss his fair share of games or else his career numbers would be a lot higher. Nonetheless, Spurs management and its fans know his impact and he’s sure to get his due whenever he decides to walk away.

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Yao Ming had his career cut prematurely at the age of 30 due to unfortunate foot and leg injuries this past season, so yes he’s technically not a current player anymore, but he’s still fresh enough to be worthy of this discussion. In seven years with Houston from ’02-09, Yao did more than just appear in seven All-Star games and average 19 points, 9 boards and 2 blocks. The 7-6 center transcended the game and is one of the most recognizable and popular figures in his native China, so much so that he even was voted to start the ’11 All-Star game despite only appearing in five games that year. Yao is sixth in Rockets history with 9,247 points, sixth in rebounds with 4,494, second in blocks with 920 and tenth in games played with 486. His #11 should have its place beside Clyde Drexler’s #22, Calvin Murphy’s #23, Moses Malone’s #24, Hakeem Olajuwon’s #34 and Rudy Tomjanovich’s #45.

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Shaquille O’Neal was a Laker for eight seasons from ’96-97 to ’03-04 and was arguably the most dominant force in the League during that time. Shaq powered the Lakers to three championships (’00, ’01 and ’02) and captured a Finals MVP in each one. He paced the NBA in scoring in ’99 and ’00, winning the 1999-00 regular season MVP having his way in the low block. In the Lakers' decorated franchise history, Shaq is seventh in field goals made (5,462), second in field goal percentage (.575), fifth in total rebounds (6,090), second in blocks (1,278), and seventh in points (13,895). Sure he only retired last year, but it shouldn’t be long before O’Neal’s #34 is hanging in the Staples Center.

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Allen Iverson sported #3 for ten-plus seasons in Philadelphia and made his presence felt right away in ’97 winning the NBA Rookie of the Year and four years later in ’01, A.I. led the team to its first finals appearance since ’83. Iverson hasn’t played in the League since he returned to Philly for the 2009-10 season, but the four-time scoring champ and ’01 NBA MVP has his place in team history. He is sixth all-time in games played for the Sixers with 722, second in minutes with 29,879, third in field goals made with 6,962, first in three-point field goals made with 885, second in free throws made with 5,122, third in assists with 4,385, second in steals with 1,644, and second in points with 19,931. At 36, a return to the NBA is not the answer, but the prolific scorer will undoubtedly get his jersey retired next to these great 76ers: #2 Moses Malone, #6 Julius Erving, #10 Maurice Cheeks, #13 Wilt Chamberlain, #15 Hal Greer, #24 Bobby Jones, #32 Billy Cunningham and #34 Charles Barkley.

Chauncey Billups #1 Detroit Pistons

In six-plus seasons with the Pistons, Billups won the Finals MVP and led Detroit to a championship in ’04. He’ll certainly be remembered for his leadership and heroics, and Detroit’s the city where he turned into an All-Star caliber point guard, but the majority of his career numbers don’t necessarily stack up among the Pistons’ best. His #1 is likely on the bubble.

Dwight Howard #12 Orlando Magic

We suppose it all depends on how (or if) Dwight Howard leaves Orlando. If he hosts The Decision Part 2, it’d probably be a while before #12 gets retired. However, Howard is now the Magic all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker in under eight years. He’s also won three Defensive Player of the Year trophies and took Orlando to its only Finals trip since ’95. Howard’s jersey is on hold at the moment, however if he stays, it’s an absolute guarantee to be retired.

Jason Kidd #5 New Jersey Nets

Jason Kidd took New Jersey out of the basement and led the Nets to two straight Finals appearances (’02 and ’03) in his first two seasons. He only played six-plus years there but is the franchise leader in assists and steals and among the top in games and points. He’s been on three teams, but Kidd has to get his jersey retired somewhere at least, right? Yes he does, New Jersey looks most likely although he does have his ring with Dallas.

Shawn Marion #31 Phoenix Suns

As noted with Nash, the Suns haven’t been shy about retiring numbers so why not Shawn Marion as well? Vastly underappreciated in his eight-plus seasons in Phoenix, Marion is second in team history in minutes, rebounds and steals, and fourth in points. The Suns took off when Nash showed up, but the Matrix played a large part contributing in all facets of the game. His #31 presents Phoenix with a tough decision.

Peja Stojakovic #16 Sacramento Kings

Part of a Kings team that made the playoffs every year from ’99 to ’05 when he sported his #16, Peja Stojakovic made his living with his fantastic shot, finishing first among all Kings in three points field goals made and free throw percentage, and sixth in points. Sacramento already put his teammates Vlade Divac’s #21 and Chris Webber’s #4 to rest so Peja may soon follow.

Amar'e Stoudemire #32 and #1 Phoenix Suns

Another Suns player? Sure, why not? Amar’e Stoudemire wore #32 as well as #1, and is third in team history in rebounds and sixth in points. The Rookie of the Year winner in ’03, Amar’e spent his next seven years in Phoenix and as much as Nash made him better, it could also be said Stoudemire made Nash better with his pick-and-roll proficiency. He didn’t necessarily leave on bad terms, although he also didn’t finish what he started.

Ben Wallace #3 and #6 Detroit Pistons

Ben Wallace is in his ninth season with the Pistons. His first stint started from 2000-01 to 2005-06 as #3, then he re-signed later in his career in ’09 and he still comes off the bench today and will likely retire with the team as #6. Wallace won four Defensive Player of the Year awards (’02, ’03, ’05 and ’06) and was an intimidating defensive presence in the middle on the championship team in 2004. Detroit retired Dennis Rodman’s #10, and Wallace is a similar player who actually has more career rebounds as a Piston and does lead the franchise in blocks. He’s not a lock, but he’s pretty close.