Picking a number in basketball is important to a lot of players. Sometimes players are superstitious to the point where they feel like their number brings them luck on the court.
So exactly do players go about picking their numbers? First we’ll dive into the multiple reasons why players may actually pick a certain number, and then we’ll go over other factors.
What Are The Main Reasons Players Pick Certain Numbers?
It’s Their Favorite Players Number
Often, players will pick a number based on the fact that it’s their favorite players. This can be a current or former NBA player. For example, Lebron James chose his number because of Michael Jordan.
The Number Has Meaning To Them
Kevin Durants childhood coach Charles Craig was murdered when KD was younger. Charles was just 35 years young when he passed which is the reason why Kevin has mostly worn the number 35 throughout his career.
Lebron switched to number 6 twice. When he went to the heat, and with the Lakers. He mentioned that it was family number which is the reason for the switch.
It’s Whatever Number They End Up With
Certain players may simply take whatever number is given to them by the team. When a player is a rookie, or not the best player on the team, they may not have a wide range of numbers to choose from because the better players get to choose first.
For Motivation
Damian Lillard chose 0 because he wasn’t expected to do much when he was drafted. His number reminded him what people thought he would be, which was 0 in the NBA.
Their Birthday
One year I chose to wear the number 14 due to the fact that my my birthday is January 4th. Many players do this as it makes their number more special to them.
What Are The Rules When It Comes To Choosing a Number For Basketball Players?
You can’t always pick whatever number you want. Even the NBA has rules when it comes to picking your number. You could only pick between 0-99. This is much more lenient than college and high school and college though.
What Are The Number Rules In High School and College
In High School and College, legal numbers are 00, 0-5, 10-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45, 50-55. So if your favorite player ever is Tony Parker and you want to wear the number 9, you can’t. The reason for this is because numbers above 5 make it hard for refs to identify players for foul calls.
Other than these rules, the only other time a jersey number can’t be chosen is if the team you’re playing for has retired the number for whatever reason. For example, if you go to play for the Chicago Bulls, they won’t let you wear the number 23 because of Michael Jordan.
Some Interesting Facts When It Comes To Jersey Numbers
#33 Is the most successful jersey number ever.
Kareem, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippin, and Grant Hill have all worn the number #33. Kareem’s success alone is enough to warrant how successful the players that have worn this jersey are, but when you add Bird and Scottie into the equation, it’s not even close.
Players on The Same Team Could Wear 00 and 0
00 and 0 are considered two different numbers on the basketball court. So if you have a teammate that took your 0, consider wearing 00. When Carmelo was on the Trailblazers, he wore 00 and Lillard still wore his 0.
The Number 69 isn’t Allowed
The NBA banned the number 69, for obvious reasons.
Dennis Rodman Wore The Weirdest Numbers
With the Lakers, Dennis Rodman wore the number 73, with the Bulls he wore number 91, and lastly with Dallas he wore number 70.
Conclusion
What factors do you take into consideration when it comes to choosing your jersey number? Leave a comment below to let us know.
We hope this article has inspired you to think outside the box and choose a number that has some meaning to you.
