23 the greatest NBA player of all time? Why he's here: Not a lot to choose from. The NBA also has a rich history of players to rock the number with champions like Kawhi Leonard,Kevin Garnett, andKyrie Irving all sporting the 2 on their backs. 1 through 11. The number suited him well. Honorable mentions: Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant, Don Mattingly. See More by this Creator. He finished with a 2.86 regular-season ERA, and in 17 games (15 starts) in the postseason, he posted a 2.61 ERA and helped the Orioles to three World Series titles (the only three in franchise history, it should be noted). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Petty is simply known as The King, which may say it all. But when he joined the Giants, that number had obviously been retired in honor of Mays, so Bonds chose the number 25 his father wore while Mays teammate. He only played five seasons with the Blue Jays, but hes a bit of a hero in Toronto; his Jays teams won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, and Alomar hit .354 with 16 stolen bases in 24 playoff games during those two title runs. 2:07. Honorable mentions: Jeff Kent, Mark Langston, Dusty Baker. 99, because it was a source of derision to don the number that Gretzky had made iconic. Why he's here: A first-ballot Hall of Famer with two Cy Youngs and more than 300 wins, Glavine laps the field at No. No, seriously. Mathis got overshadowed by Dwight Freeney, but he was a great pass rusher in his own right. Ralph Branca - Baseball. More about data coverage Number Year Or go to a franchise's uniform history: Choose a Team Uniform Numbers Share & Export Modify, Export & Share Table Yes, Cris Carter was great, and so was Kellen Winslow. We can see why. Brady and the No. Injuries caught up to Santana and will keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but at his peak he was incredible. 52 is close to as a accomplished as the 2007 Cy Young winner. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. For a more in-depth look at the debate over these picks, along with who was chosen for Nos. Dan Marino wore 13 and had an amazing career even if he didnt win a Super Bowl. Orr scored 100 points in a season six times, before his knees failed him too young. Honorable mentions: Rick Reuschel, Sam McDowell. He also accumulated 2,460 hits in 19 seasons. Sports Superstitions: The Number 13 - InfoPlease Fitzgerald has been around the NFL for a long time, all of which hes been in Arizona, where sometimes hes had terrible quarterbacks. Hes spent his entire career with the Eagles, and hes been named an All-Pro for each of the last three seasons. Sanders is perhaps the best running back ever. Honorable mentions: Chan Ho Park, Bronson Arroyo. The hype surrounding Crosby before he was drafted was hard to live up to. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Injuries and illness tamped down Lemieuxs numbers a bit, but he still won three Harts and six Art Rosses. A lot of these athletes have worn other numbers as well. "He had fame that transcended mere celebrity," Ron Fimrite wrote in SI in '99. We considered Doak Walker, mostly for his college career as he only played a few seasons in the NFL. > All Players To Wear Number 31. 61 for more than a few seasons, and Hernandez is the best of the bunch. Honorable mentions: Appier, Russell Martin. This is a stacked number, but its still such an easy choice to go with Mays, who is in the conversation about the greatest players in the history of the sport. Gehrig finished with 493 homers and a .340 career batting average, and he was even better in the World Series the Iron Horse hit .361 and popped 10 homers in 34 games as his Yankees claimed the title six times in seven tries. Honorable mentions: Kershaw, Larry Walker, Luis Tiant. This was an easy choice. When all is said and done, we might recognize Trout as the best player in MLB history. While we briefly thought about Brett Favre, this really came down to Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig. In 2015, he was an All-Star and won AL Comeback Player of the Year. Bobby Orr, quite simply, transformed hockey. He also ended his time in the NFL with a ring with the Steelers, though by that point he was no longer a Pro Bowl-caliber back. Lets not forget the world of auto racing, which brought us Dale Earnhardt. 74 for his entire six-season career. Why he's here: After just two seasons, the Cuban slugger has established himself as by far the best player at this number. However, he wore it for only two seasons as opposed to four wearing No. That includes wide receivers, mind you. Ware was a scary force off the edge, making him the choice here at No. Wayne Chrebet . 25. Honorable mentions: Warren Spahn, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Were we really going to go with Mark McGwire? However, he did wear No. Thats good enough for us. Hes won two Art Ross Trophies and one Hart already. Nobody was close to the "Dominator.". Why hes here: Larkin, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility, actually wore No. So did Tony Gwynn while he won eight batting titles. Boston's greatest players to don each uniform number: 101 unforgettable Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Prior to that, he made seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and won two MVPs. That was only one season out of his Hall-of-Fame career, of course. His numbers blow everybody elses out of the water, and even in this pass-happy era nobody has topped Rices numbers yet. Honorable mentions: What did we just say? 91 for his entire seven-year career. 8 with the Indians and White Sox, but it wasn't available in Baltimore due to a certain future Hall of Famer. Not only did he compile a 2.75 career ERA in the regular season, but the lefty had a 2.71 ERA in 22 World Series starts, and was a huge reason those Yankees teams won the championship six times. His on-base percentage: .482, the best ever. No. Martinez had a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Rivers hasnt been to a Super Bowl, and the odds are that he wont do it at this point, even after joining the Colts. Uniform numbers hold a special place in telling the story of the sport, so we thought wed take a look at the best players (Hall of Famers in most instances) who wore each uniform number. He also wore it when he won four-straight Cy Youngs. He wore it when he scored 100 points in one game. That being said, Cruyff is a legend in the world of soccer and helped make Total Football a reality. Christiansen isnt a big name, but he had some great years with the Raiders. Bryant split his career between Nos. Hes already eighth in goals in NHL history and has led the league in goals eight times. 8 and 24. #1 of 217. NFL and NHL fans have strong associations with the number for some of the most famous names in their sports with players like Russell Wilson and Pierre Pilote. The number 2 has become one of the most popular jersey numbers across a wide variety of sports. With all due respect to Gary Zimmerman, a Hall of Fame guard in the NFL, Karlsson is only 29 and on his way to the Hall himself someday. Frankly, thats more impressive than anything Gibson did, and it was one of five times Pedro led the majors in ERA. Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the booksThe Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000andThe Ash Heap of History. Why hes here: Marichal was a stalwart in the San Francisco rotation from the moment he arrived in the big leagues he struck out 12 and threw a one-hit shutout in his debut. He was also the captain when the Wings ended their 40-year Cup drought. Honorable mentions: Steve Carlton, Roy Halladay. All rights reserved. The right-hander with the unmistakable high leg kick finished his career with a 2.89 ERA and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. This is tricky for the athletes who have worn a couple of numbers with semi-regularity for example, Kobe Bryant. After checking out the photo gallery, readthe list of top athletes at every number. Why he's here: Belle wore No. No NBA player has ever wore No. Trout has been clearly the best player in MLB since his second year in the majors. We talked about how impressive it was that Lewis won Defensive Player of the Year twice as a middle linebacker, but Urlacher did the same thing. Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR 57 Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL 58 Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks,. Damon wore No. But Rice is the best receiver of all time to this day. Williams set out to be the greatest hitter that ever lived, and it's hard to argue he wasn't. Fun fact: With Williams away fighting in World War II, catcher Johnny Peacock wore No. Hes still had an excellent career. While he led the league in sacks only twice, his 198 career sacks are second-best in NFL history. 96. Famous Athletes - List & Biographies of World Famous Athletes Shout out to Steve Heinze, the hockey player who wore 57 for the pun, but hes no match for Santana. Join our linker program. Were hitting the ice though with Lidstrom. Why hes here: Raines, one of the greatest leadoff batters in baseball history (career .385 OBP hitting first in the lineup), stole 808 bases in his career. 6, so it all balances out. Jeters place among Yankees legends is secure, which is no small accomplishment for that franchise. He had 767 receptions for 6,875 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air. Brown played tackle for the Giants from 1953 until 1965, being named an All-Pro six times en route to the Hall. He still could get there, and he's the most talented player to put on No. Why he's here: No one at No. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 12 will forever be synonymous, even though hes now a Buccaneer. Honorable mentions: Vada Pinson, Cesar Cedeno, Pedro Guerrero. Outside of his rookie campaign, Mays wore 24 his entire career. Baseball players like Rickey Henderson, Roger Clemens, and Clayton Kershaw have all worn 22 in MLB at some point as well. Athletes Who Wore #33 Athletes Who Wore #23 Athletes Who Wore #7 Athletes Who Wore #69 Athletes Who Wore #42 Athletes Who Wore #4 Athletes Who Wore #22 9. But he didnt wear that number anywhere else. Pele wore the No. 9 to Maya Moore at No. No. (Keep reading to find out if we did.) Sure, Jeter is a tad overrated because he spent his entire career playing for the Yankees and was their captain. In the course of his 16-year career, Elway matured from rawly talented escape artist to field general. The heart and soul of the Yankees dynasties of the '50s, Yogi Berra won three MVP awards and had a seven-year stretch during which he never finished lower than fourth in the voting. Before him, defensemen were just that: defenders. Considered one of the best defensive players ever, Russell led the Celtics to a whopping 11 titles. He played for all four of the Steelers Super Bowl-winning squads in the 70s, and he was once named the Defensive Player of the Year on a team with names like Joe Greene and Jack Lambert. Moses Malone was a great player who wore two, but he wore a few other numbers as well. Thats amazing, but that was in the era of pitching when the mounds were raised. The best players to wear 2 as their jersey number have crafted strong legacies with it. 1. 83? Jim Reineking. Why he's here: Underrated Bobby Abreu is Drysdale's only real competition. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. Why he's here: Two seasons at No. Best all-time MLB players at each jersey number, 1-99, Best current players at each jersey number, 1-97. When you think 99 in sports, there is only one player who comes to mind: the Great One. Why hes here: Dean was a shooting star, a player who lit up the baseball world and flamed out way too soon (a broken toe in the 1937 All-Star game led to a cavalcade of injuries that crushed his career). Lemieux is the rare player who is considered one of the top-10 athletes in his sport but also makes you ask, What could have been?. That future Hall of Famer is Von Miller, who should be the preeminent 58 eventually. Even then, though, Woodson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. However, 30 is a goalies number, and we wanted to give the honor to one of the best goalies to ever man the crease. Karlsson toiled in relative obscurity when he was with the Ottawa Senators, but hockey fans still knew him. McDavid is clearly going to be the kind of player who dominates the NHL for years at a time. Playing tight end, he twice led the NFL in receptions and made five Pro Bowls. His Philadelphia Athletics didnt actually wear uniform numbers until 1931 (Grove was 30-4 with a 2.06 ERA that year), so Grove only wore 10 in 11 of his seasons, but he still gets the nod here (he led the AL in ERA six of those 11 years, btw). Classic Type in answers that appear in a list Type in . Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. The eight-time All-Star lead the NL in ERA four times and won 355 games, most among pitchers of the last half century. He switched to No. Why hes here: Look at the honorable mentions list. He once led the NHL in goals scored and hit the 40-goal threshold three times. Why he's here: The hard-throwing Yankee has established himself as one of baseball's top relievers over the past two seasons. Enough said. The Steel Curtain defense was famous for its vicious front seven, but it needed Blount back there in the secondary patrolling as well. All rights reserved. 47. 10: Lloyd Waner . Athletes who wore #34 Quiz Stats - By geowiz85 But he also captured the American imagination -- for his grace in the field, for his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, even for his rocky marriage to Marilyn Monroe. Teammates back-to-back here. In his 20 years with the Yankees, The Captain earned 15 All-Star nods, rapped out 3,465 hits, scored 1,923 runs and hit .310 and he was a cornerstone for five World Series-winning squads. Emailed daily. However, Greene was the face of the Steel Curtain defense, being named Defensive Player of the Year twice. (Though the image of Orr, arms raised in celebration as he literally flies across the crease, is legendary.) 15 his first two years with the Reds before switching to 11 after Kurt Stillwell was traded to the Royals after the 1987 season. The two-time MVP was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. Full Site Menu. Mike Singletary was a formidable linebacker patrolling the field in the NFL. Even NHL players like Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens sported the 4 on their backs while making an impact in their sport. Both had their careers cut short by their bodies giving out on them. Join our linker program. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Why he's here: Hershisher's legendary 1988 performance gives him the edge over comtemporary Kevin Appier. Players had long ago decided to stop wearing No. Stats: 467 games played, 17.7 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals, Vote up the top athletes who wore 2 for at least one professional season, The Greatest New York Yankees Of All Time, The Greatest Offensive Players in NBA History, 14 All-Star (19982002, 2004, 20062012, 2014), 5 World Series champion (1996, 19982000, 2009), 5 Gold Glove Award (20042006, 20092010), 5 Silver Slugger Award (20062009, 2012), 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1979, 1982, 1983), 4 All-NBA First Team (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985), 4 All-NBA Second Team (1980, 1981, 1984, 1987), 2 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016), 3 NBA All-Defensive First Team (20152017), 2 NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014, 2019). He was one of the first stars of NASCAR, and some still consider him the best driver ever. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. The Hall of Famer won three MVPs and made a whopping 20 All-Star Games. Since Earnhardt drove the 3 car, and Babe Ruth wore No. Honorable mentions: Charlie Gehringer, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst. 5, as did Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio. Honorable mentions: Tom Candiotti, Charlie Hough. Offensive linemen maybe arent the most exciting players to talk about, but excellence should be recognized. The NBA also has a rich history of players to rock the number with champions like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, and Kyrie Irving all sporting the 2 on their backs. 7 Incredible Athletes (Besides LeBron James) To Wear #23 On top of that, Guidry won five Gold Gloves.

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