Ware was a scary force off the edge, making him the choice here at No. He wore it for two seasons in which he had over 90 points. Basically every starting goalie in the world of soccer wears. Yes, Sayers played only five seasons in the NFL, more or less. But thats OK. Brett was a wizard at the plate during a 21-year career he even led the AL in average (.329) and doubles (45) in his Age 37 season that garnered 13 All-Star nods, the 1980 AL MVP (when he hit .390) and the 1985 World Series title for Kansas City (he hit .370 against St. Louis in the series). His 71 interceptions are third all time in NFL history, and the league wasnt super pass happy for his whole career. 72 for his entire 13-year tenure with the White Sox. That being said, Cruyff is a legend in the world of soccer and helped make Total Football a reality. When he can finally take the court for Brooklyn, that will probably be true as well, though he did wear No. Considered one of the best defensive players ever, Russell led the Celtics to a whopping 11 titles. Montana wore 19 when he moved from San Francisco to Kansas City, but he spent only two years with the Chiefs. This was really just a battle between soccer legends. Why he's here: The hard-throwing Yankee has established himself as one of baseball's top relievers over the past two seasons. 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 NBA fans have representation, as well, with Joe Dumars, Charles Barkley, and Chris Webber among the famous players to wear the number. He won five MVPs wearing No. The eight-time All-Star lead the NL in ERA four times and won 355 games, most among pitchers of the last half century. Goose Gossage had a fine career in baseball, but as a relief pitcher, and well go with a starting linebacker over a reliever any day of the week. Before him, defensemen were just that: defenders. Even though contracting HIV cut Magics career short, he played 11 full NBA seasons, making the All-Star Game in all those campaigns. Roger Clemens would have been a good choice, but he wore a couple of other numbers. Too early? As such, we will give shoutouts to various athletes along the way. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Honorable mentions: Jim Edmonds, Red Ruffing, Dustin Pedroia. The Cowboy and Bronco led the NFL in sacks twice and tackles for loss three times. Why he's here: The other choices are Ryan Madson and Justin Masterson. Most iconic NBA numbers: #34 - Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon | NBA News | Sky Sports Access NBA ID benefits League Leaders Team Stats Teams Players Live on Sky Most iconic. While he was an All-Pro only one time, that year he led the league in both sacks and forced fumbles. 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). The two-time MVP was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. Hes spent his entire career with the Eagles, and hes been named an All-Pro for each of the last three seasons. The best players for each uniform number - Over the Monster Hes already eighth in goals in NHL history and has led the league in goals eight times. Stats: 1455 games played, 20.3 points per game, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, League: NBA This was a tough one. He deservedly is in his sports Hall of Fame, unlike another guy who wore 47, Jack Morris. Join our linker program. That makes Wilt the Stilt the choice. Ruth is the game's greatest slugger -- but he also has the 17th-best ERA in history. 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. 35 the entire time. Given that, wouldnt we feel weird to look back and see, say, Scott Niedermayers name here? Why he's here: The pitcher wore No. As smooth and regal a player who ever wore a Celtics . This was not an easy one. Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player. Honorable mentions: Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Bench, Albert Pujols, Brooks Robinson, Jeff Bagwell. Greatest college football players by jersey number (Keep reading to find out if we did.) Tim Brown was also a great receiver but not quite on par with Owens. Major League Baseball retired Robinsons number across the league. However, Faulk was one of the best receiving backs ever. In fact, the iron man offensive lineman played in every game for 14 straight seasons. Damon hit 235 homers and stole 408 bases in his career. 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. 42 for all teams. It was one of two Selkes he won, and for a time he even played defensemen for the Red Wings. He was a cultural icon, a one-man metaphor for excellence in any field. 66 during a 2015 season in which he played only two games, had . Why hes here: Rapid Robert had already struck out 466 major-league hitters before he turned 20 years old, thats why. Were hitting the ice though with Lidstrom. 81 for more than a season. Sure, he benefited from the neutral-zone trap, but he also leads the NHL in career regular-season games played, wins, and shutouts. 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). LT was named Defensive Player of the Year three times with the Giants. Nevertheless, Chamberlain wore 13 throughout his NBA career. The still-active Wainwright edges out ageless Jamie Moyer. Or write about sports? While he led the league in sacks only twice, his 198 career sacks are second-best in NFL history. Maybe for some numbers, sure, but not for 15. Clemente, who was born in Puerto Rico and was an idol to the people of Latin America, tragically died in a plane crash while trying to deliver supplies to Nicaragua to aid earthquake victims. 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. 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. Soccer player of the century? 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. 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 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. Why hes here: Ripken started his career with a bang he won the AL rookie of the year in 1982 and the AL MVP in 1983 and spent the rest of his time with the Orioles fashioning a no-doubt Hall of Fame career. He then turned to 77, though, and wore it for well over a decade, including when he won four Norris Trophies. The Greatest NBA Player To Wear Each Jersey Number From 00 to 23 Hes done so many incredible things already, and hes not quite done yet. 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. 90. Why hes here: Armed with a sweet swing and an unparalleled batting eye, Carew won seven AL batting titles and hit at least .330 in 10 different seasons. Congratulations, we guess? 6 for a few seasons in Miami, Russell wore it for his entire career a career, mind you, in which he averaged 22.5 rebounds per game. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He was one of the first stars of NASCAR, and some still consider him the best driver ever. 29 on occasion. Of course, Jagr ended up playing for a bunch of teams in his career as he held on to add to his incredible goal total. Thomas numbers could have been even better, but he unfortunately died in a car accident after the 1999 season. Best Pirates players by uniform number - MLB The NFL was weird then. 9 to Maya Moore at No. Hes been forgotten a bit by this point, even though he played on four Super Bowl winners and made the Hall of Fame. And is No. Why he's here: A pitcher in the 1940 and 1950s, Voiselle wore No. We didnt have to think about this for a second. If 18 was an obvious choice, 19 was a brutal one. Hes second in career whiffs behind only Nolan Ryan, who played forever. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. He was also an incredible player, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP during his career. Jim Reineking. He also wore it when he won four-straight Cy Youngs. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The Babe was more than a baseball star and the most popular athlete of his era. Dominant Digits -- The 10 most popular jersey numbers among - ESPN 46 for an extended period. Peterson has more rushing yards anad rushing touchdowns, and he once ran for over 2,000 yards in a season. Fun fact: Kramer also served as the Green Bay kicker for three seasons. Players had long ago decided to stop wearing No. 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. LeBron James made a bold choice of wearing the same number as the man he was considered the heir apparent to. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. This was still an easy choice, as Bourque is an all-time NHL great. Reggie Miller also did some great things in this number. Trout has been clearly the best player in MLB since his second year in the majors. The 30+ Top Athletes To Wear Jersey Number 1, Ranked By Fans COLLECTION What's Your Number? Full Site Menu. (Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/Getty Images . He would become famous in the 1951 playoffs for surrendering Bobby Thomson's "shot heard round the world" home run, one of the most famous home runs of all-time. Parish earned those rings by taking on three of the league's. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The lanky right-hander won the AL Cy Young three times and finished in the top five of the voting five other times in his 19-year career. George Constanza thought Seven was a great name, Five of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, Giants banking on their prototype first-round pick, Kraken stun defending champion Avs in Game 7, Steph Curry puts on record-setting Game 7 show in win, Playoff Butler shows out in Game 1 win over Knicks, Phillies manager provides update on Harper's return, MLB implements unusual rule to avoid pitch clock violations, Former Giants wonder if Rodgers can handle NY media, Brooks fined for dodging media, has no regrets over LeBron comments, Zac Taylor on Joe Mixon: 'His future is here with the team'. 1. Shaquille ONeal wore No. Thats good enough for us. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Sidney Crosby gets a ton of credit, but Malkin actually has two Art Ross trophies, not to mention a Hart and a Conn Smythe, in his own right. The Best Athletes To Wear Number 3, Ranked By Fans Wayne Chrebet . Well give a shout out to the underrated Elgin Baylor, who also wore 22. Subban would have been a more fun player to go with, and early in his career when he was winning the Norris he seemed on pace. He once led the NHL in goals scored and hit the 40-goal threshold three times. So did George Gervin. Why he's here: Gibson was an elite pitcher, and he just barely edges out fellow elite pitcher Pedro Martinez for the top spot due to a longer career. Why hes here: Robinsons career started with a bang he won the 1956 NL rookie of the year award in his Age 20 season for the Reds and barely ever slowed down. Plus, there was the playoff heroics for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. While we briefly thought about Brett Favre, this really came down to Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig. Thirteen may be an unlucky number to some but not to a few all-time greats. Once he led the NHL in assists with 66, unheard of for a blue liner. That includes wide receivers, mind you. The 25+ Top Athletes Who Wore Jersey Number 22, Ranked By Fans The iconic athletes are also indelibly linked to a number, or numbers, they wore. Jim Brown?) Why he's here: The Hall of Famer is easily the best of an otherwise unimpressive bunch. Howe may have notched 801 career NHL goals, plus some more in the WHA, but Drew Brees could retire with a bunch of NFL records as well. Frankly, thats more impressive than anything Gibson did, and it was one of five times Pedro led the majors in ERA. For now, though, we're running from zero to 99 to find the best athlete for each number. We have a run on linebackers. 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 67 for five seasons, far more than any other player. . Branca, a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, wore no. The franchise has retired Drysdales number after he spent 14 seasons in Dodger blue. 3 the first 10 years of his career, with the Mariners and Rangers, but a mildly well-known slugger had long ago claimed that number with the Yankees. Ripken is best-known for his Iron Man streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (Lou Gehrig previously held the record at 2,130) but he also made the All-Star team 19 times and won the 1991 AL MVP, too. 96. Why he's here: The 2015 AL Cy Young winner is the easy choice after just four MLB seasons. McDavid is clearly going to be the kind of player who dominates the NHL for years at a time. Back in the day in soccer, starters wore Nos. Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. When was the last time Mean wasnt attached to his name? There was no debate here. 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. In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. Emailed daily. 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. White was the most feared pass rusher of his era, racking up sacks with gusto. Even NHL players like Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens sported the 4 on their backs while making an impact in their sport. 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. Why he's here: There's a reason MLB retired No. Even though he wore 45 for a bit, LeBron also wore No. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan. Why hes here: Musial feasted on opposing pitchers during his 22-year career with the Cardinals. Do you have a blog? The No. Petty is one of three drivers to win the NASCAR season title seven times, and he also won the Daytona 500 seven times. The longtime Devil picked up four Vezinas to go with three Stanley Cups. Since Earnhardt drove the 3 car, and Babe Ruth wore No. The tight end made eight straight Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams, and he had a 12-touchdown season after his peak. Prior to that, he made seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and won two MVPs. Theres more to Aaron than just his 755 homers. Want stats? Athletes who wore #34 Quiz Stats - By geowiz85 The Say Hey Kid won two MVPs and 12 Gold Gloves, and he made 24 All-Star Games wearing No. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. The Steel Curtain defense was famous for its vicious front seven, but it needed Blount back there in the secondary patrolling as well. Why he's here: He's the only player to wear No. Can you imagine a 6-foot-7 linebacker? Also sorry to NASCAR fans who know that Jeff Gordon drove the 24 car during his sterling career. Be it with Oklahoma City or Golden State, or even his one year in Seattle, Durant has worn No. Weirdly, in the one season he won Defensive Player of the Year he wore No. The six players to wear this number have combined for -2.2 WAR in a Pirates uniform. Nash was not just a first overall pick, but the first pick in Columbus Blue Jackets history. Why hes here: Bonds wore 24 during his seven years with Pittsburgh as a tribute to Willie Mays, his godfather. There he added five more rings, and in his career he won the MVP a whopping six times. 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. If you're the Babe Ruth of podiatrists, suddenly podiatry sounds like a pretty cool line of work to be in. 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. Its not the most exciting of numbers, but Bart Starr did lead the Packers to the first two Super Bowl wins of all time. Westbrook has an MVP and averaged a triple-double for three seasons straight. 81. Why hes here: Ryan is the greatest strikout pitcher in baseball history of course. Baseball history is marked by iconic numbers. While he never won a Cy Young, he finished second three times and led the National League in strikeouts twice. He twice led the NFL in sacks, including a 22-sack season that almost broke the record. The Sultan of Swat mashed 714 home runs in a time when hitting 20 in a season was impressive. MORE: Best current players at each jersey number, 1-97. 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. Those were the first of 159 sacks he managed in his career, almost all of them coming while wearing the No. 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?. Dierdorf, who you surely remember from his TV commentary work, wore 72 for the entirety of his career, which ended with him in the Hall of Fame. As a result of that popularity, many of the best players across basketball, baseball, and football have donned the number. The Greatest Athletes by Number (00-10) - Sports Illustrated Moses Malone was a great player who wore two, but he wore a few other numbers as well. All Rights Reserved. Well, he could have been the first overall pick, and he still would have had a stellar career. Pel was so much more. Winning the Rookie of the Year award with the Buffalo Braves, Dantley his the ground running in the NBA. Tweet us @USATODAYSports and let us know. The NHL doesnt like to give the Hart Trophy to goalies. Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World Right Now? - Ranker Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Stargell, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Gary Carter and Joe Morgan are all players worthy of selection.
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