Winning the Rookie of the Year award with the Buffalo Braves, Dantley his the ground running in the NBA. Steph Curry is getting close to being the choice here. For 20 years Duncan was a metronome in the NBA. Quiz Source White was the most feared pass rusher of his era, racking up sacks with gusto. The Black Pearl earned that distinction by dominating South American soccer with a parade of spectacular goals -- he had a record 1,281 in his career -- and by leading Brazil to World Cup victories in 1958, '62 and '70. Peppers was excellent for a long time as well, as he notched 11 sacks in 2017 as a 37 year old. So we apologize to two greats of their respective footballs, John Elway and Cristiano Ronaldo. He also happened to make 14 Pro Bowls, which got him into the Hall. The best of the bunch is Brown, who is a name from the past. The Greatest NBA Player To Wear Each Jersey Number From 00 to 23 And while his two Super Bowl wins came with great supporting casts, he provided the signature moment of those wins. When Don Larsen threw his perfect game in the '56 World Series, who do you think was behind the plate? 99, but in every other season of his career he wore No. Eck was the AL MVP and Cy Young winner in 1992 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. Pele wore the No. On top of that, Guidry won five Gold Gloves. 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. Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. In fact, nobody is within 1,000 yards of him. Even then, though, Woodson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. The Bus rumbled his way to a career 13,662 yards in his career. Honorable mentions: Ichiro Suzuki, Willie McGee, Trevor Hoffman. For three straight years, he led the American League in strikeouts and FIP, and in two of those seasons he won the Cy Young as well. The Hall of Fame second baseman hit arguably the most famous home run in the sport's history: the walk-off shot in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Then again, he played only nine seasons. He had 767 receptions for 6,875 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air. Thats amazing, but that was in the era of pitching when the mounds were raised. 6, so it all balances out. 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. There is no other athlete really in contention. Hes already eighth in goals in NHL history and has led the league in goals eight times. No. 1 So with all due respect to hockeys Terry Sawchuk, were going with the Italian soccer legend Buffon, who is arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever, depending on how you feel about Lev Yashin, who played in a different era of the sport. There wasnt much of a challenge to Bonds. #1 of 83. 42 for all teams. Orr scored 100 points in a season six times, before his knees failed him too young. Maybe for some numbers, sure, but not for 15. He became the youngest person ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. So check out the list of athletes who wore 2 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Why he's here: Not much to choose from. I chose players based on their individual statistics . Why he's here: Belle wore No. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. That was enough to get Sayers in the Hall of Fame. Sure, he benefited from the neutral-zone trap, but he also leads the NHL in career regular-season games played, wins, and shutouts. The best athlete to wear every number | Yardbarker Its rare for a middle linebacker to get a ton of awards love, but Lewis managed to be named Defensive Player of the Year twice. It was one of the four years he led the league in rushing yards. This gallery provides a sample of SI's best players to wear numbers 00 to 10. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Sure, he made only two All-Star teams, but in one season he won not just the Vezina but also the Hart. Join our linker program. Plus, there was the playoff heroics for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. However, he led the American League in ERA twice and won a Cy Young in 1978. Congratulations, we guess? He helped change the position, showing that a tight end could be a de facto receiver out there. As his career went on, though, Yzerman became an elite defensive forward, even winning a Selke. Nobody beats the Babe. More than 48,000 runners took on the race from Greenwich to The Mall - up . Fitzgerald has been around the NFL for a long time, all of which hes been in Arizona, where sometimes hes had terrible quarterbacks. 52: Brazile, Robert Brazile, Lewis, Ray Lewis, Gatski, Frank Gatski, Webster, Mike Webster 53: Carson, Harry Carson, Ford, Len Ford, Tingelhoff, Mick Tingelhoff, Webster, Mike Webster, Wojciechowicz, Alex Wojciechowicz 54: Ringo, Jim Ringo, Urlacher, Brian Urlacher, White, Randy White Why hes here: Grove didnt make his big-league debut until 1925, when he was 25 years old, but he wasted no time becoming a star he led the AL in strikeouts each of his first seven years in the majors. Fun fact: With Williams away fighting in World War II, catcher Johnny Peacock wore No. Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak might never be topped. At this point he is no longer the player he used to be, but Witten can only add to his legacy at this point as one of the best tight ends ever. He twice led the NFL in sacks, including a 22-sack season that almost broke the record. Before that, though, he had a long, successful career on the field. He created the archetype of the modern slugger, and his exploits on and off the field made him the perfect Jazz Age superstar. Brown played tackle for the Giants from 1953 until 1965, being named an All-Pro six times en route to the Hall. Those were the first of 159 sacks he managed in his career, almost all of them coming while wearing the No. 23, we rank the best all-time WNBA players by jersey number. For certain numbers, itis almost impossible to choose one top athlete. (Take that, Babe Ruth.) Ovechkin is still an active player who, hopefully, has a few more years left in his career. The Neon legend was born in Tallahassee, where Sanders was a two-time consensus All-America, and a Jim Thorpe . How can you argue with the guy known as Mr. The Hall of Famer won three MVPs and made a whopping 20 All-Star Games. Why hes here: Because it's the Internet, and the Internet loves Bartolo. Keep the linebackers coming! Dan Marino wore 13 and had an amazing career even if he didnt win a Super Bowl. Hes the face of basketball to millions to this day. Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Honorable mentions: Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Barry Bonds. He spent almost the entirety of his career with the Cowboys, making six straight All-Pro squads. All Rights Reserved. Brooks wore 55 for his whole NFL run, and he never left the Buccaneers. The six players to wear this number have combined for -2.2 WAR in a Pirates uniform. In Game 7 of the 1934 World Series, Dean threw nine shutout innings to help Gashouse Gang to the championship. Classic: Type in answers that appear in a list. We dont worship the rings, but we do admire true dominance. The seven-footer teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McKale in the iconic frontcourt that led the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s. Honorable mentions: Al Kaline, Willie Wilson, Steve Garvey. Had Ken Dryden, the legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, played longer he would have been the choice, and also Satchel Paige was known to wear the No. This was not a hard choice and not just because of the quality of Mannings career. Honorable mentions: Charlie Gehringer, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst. Peterson has more rushing yards anad rushing touchdowns, and he once ran for over 2,000 yards in a season. 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 Munoz played 13 seasons, and the only seasons he missed the Pro Bowl were his first and last. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. In the News: Aaron Rodgers, Trey Lance, Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts, Allen Robinson, Jordan Love. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Do you have a sports website? Sure, hes in the Hall of Fame, but the man was All-Pro six times and won Defensive Player of the Year once. Rivers has thrown for almost 400 career touchdowns and has made eight Pro Bowls. Why hes here: Ford was a stalwart in the Yankees rotation during the franchises glory years (well, one of their stretches of glory years). The fact he wasnt Defensive Player of the Year that season was baffling. Speaking of averaging a triple-double, the last guy to do that before Westbrook was Oscar Robertson, who wore the No. (Keep reading to find out if we did.) For years, there was a legitimate debate about who was better: Wayne Gretzky or Super Mario. Thomas, though, is underrated. USA TODAY. As most baseball fans know, April 15, 1947 is a special day in MLB history. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. 9. We considered Doak Walker, mostly for his college career as he only played a few seasons in the NFL. Ranking the greatest athletes from every sport to ever don those magic jersey numbers. His numbers may never be beaten. Elway's trademark was the fourth-quarter comeback and his most famous was "The Drive" in the 1986 AFC title game, when he marched his Broncos 98 yards in Cleveland to force overtime. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. A couple of notable goalies, Tony Esposito and Mike Richter, also wore this number. 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. Only Orr won it more times, and he did it during a time when there were fewer teams and a lot less competition for the award. Dominant Digits -- The 10 most popular jersey numbers among - ESPN He holds the world record for 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 100 metres relay and is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Orr hurt his knee, while Gehrig tragically developed ALS, known colloquially to this day as Lou Gehrigs disease. Why he's here: Hershisher's legendary 1988 performance gives him the edge over comtemporary Kevin Appier. The following is a list of the greatest players (in my opinion) to wear each jersey number, from 1-57 (with a few extras just for fun). Why he's here: Two seasons at No. League: MLB We do want to shout out Chad Johnson, in part because he changed his named to Chad Ochocinco in honor of his number. Before he did that, it was an unthinkable feat. The hype surrounding Crosby before he was drafted was hard to live up to. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He was a cultural icon, a one-man metaphor for excellence in any field. Why he's here: No one else in MLB history has worn No. Sanders is perhaps the best running back ever. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. Tweet us @USATODAYSports and let us know. Why hes here: A second-ballot Hall of Famer, Alomar was named to the All-Star team 12 consecutive seasons, with the Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles and Indians. Every number tells a story in Sports Illustrated's newly published ANY GIVEN NUMBER. Do you have a blog? We wanted to take a panoramic look across the entire world of sports to find the best athlete to wear every number. In the power categories, its pretty much Mickey Mantle (Hall of Famer), Eddie Murray (Hall of Famer), Chipper Jones (soon-to-be-Hall of Famer) and then Beltran. 1. Dallas Mavericks ( 88, 90) Al-Farouq Aminu. His 71 interceptions are third all time in NFL history, and the league wasnt super pass happy for his whole career. Why hes here: A great pitcher with a number of iconic postseason moments, Schilling will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame one of these days. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. He was also the captain when the Wings ended their 40-year Cup drought. He also accumulated 2,460 hits in 19 seasons. 19. 5. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey might be the most famous NFL athlete wearing No. Names that come to mind are Michael Jordan, Ryne Sandberg, Troy Vincent, David Beckham, Bob Gainey, and Ron Lancaster. He made seven straight Pro Bowls in the 2000s and was named to the All-Decade team by the Hall of Fame as well. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. 3, he didnt have much of a chance. Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff/MCT/Sipa USA, Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT/Sipa USA, Tim Groothuis-Witters Sport/USA TODAY Sports, Photo by Malcolm W. Emmons/Sporting News via Getty Images, Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/TNS/Sipa USA, Damian Strohmeyer / Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Yong Kim/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT/Sipa USA, Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/KRT, Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images, Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT/Sipa USA, Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT/Sipa USA, Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Sipa USA, Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT/Sipa USA, Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Sipa USA, Ian McVea/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT/Sipa USA, Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT/Sipa USA, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 67 for five seasons, far more than any other player. 7 Incredible Athletes (Besides LeBron James) To Wear #23 Honorable mentions: Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Biggio, Kenny Lofton. After all, he was named to the NFL All-Pro team for six straight seasons. The Swede was the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, routinely racking up over 60 points. "He had fame that transcended mere celebrity," Ron Fimrite wrote in SI in '99. He wore it for two seasons in which he had over 90 points. Also, he's been a pretty good pitcher, with a Cy Young, three All-Star selections and 218 wins to his name. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Sports Superstitions: The Number 13 - InfoPlease However, we have to go with the man known as The Captain in Detroit. Honorable mentions: Nolan Ryan, Orlando Cepeda, Willie Randolph. Apparently Pittsburgh Penguins history is filled with great players who wear unusual numbers. 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. Oh, and hes hit .332 with 16 homers and a 1.115 OPS in 52 career playoff gams. Return to Top; Players. 34 with the Lakers, and that was an incredible run. Why hes here: Mantle won three AL MVP awards and smashed 536 home runs during his legendary run with the Yankees, but hes still one of baseballs greatest what if? stories because of the injuries that plagued his 18-year career. Honorable mentions: Clayton Kershaw, Will Clark, Roger Clemens. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Which got us thinking about the greatest athletes -- across all sports -- who wore each number, from 00 to 99. The shortstop is the Yankees' alltime hit leader, the calm and charismatic captain who led his team to five World Series championships. Jim Thorpe. 25. Why he's here: A two-time Cy Young winner who lead his league in ERA and strikeouts three times each, Santana was the clear choice here. When the Ravens had the best defense in the NFL, Lewis was at the center of that. 23 Greatest Athletes to Wear No. 23 Quiz Stats - By schredder - Sporcle He gets the nod. 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?. Honorable mentions: Rick Reuschel, Sam McDowell. Why he's here: The long-time Yankee lefty was by far the best player who wore No. Most iconic NBA numbers: #34 - Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley
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