The jersey numbers of just three legendary athletes have been retired, and…

The jersey numbers of just three legendary athletes have been retired, and…

Bill Russell, who passed away last month at the age of 88, will receive a unique honor: the NBA as a whole, not just his Boston Celtics team, will retire his No. 6. Only two numbers from major sports have been retired league-wide: Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 in hockey and Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 in baseball.

That brings up some issues, which we will try to address.

But what about the NBA players who wear No. 6 right now?
These athletes, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, may play at No. 6 until they retire. However, the number won’t be given to any new players. When Robinson’s number was retired by the MLB in 1997, the same regulation was in effect. When he retired in 2013, Mariano Rivera of the Yankees was the only player still wearing No. 42 every day.

Surely there have been other greats in the NBA who wore number six?
Yes, there are a good number of them, including Julius Erving. Only Russell is honored by the leaguewide retirement, though.

 

Major League Baseball has retired Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 in 1997.Regards: Associated Press

Who will join Gretzky, Robinson, and Russell?
There has been a push in baseball to honor Roberto Clemente’s humanitarian work by retiring his No. 21 jersey leaguewide. Many Puerto Rican athletes, in particular, have declared they would not wear the number. According to Commissioner Rob Manfred, Clemente receives recognition in his own right from the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given out for community service and sportsmanship.

 

Which teams have the widest range of retired numbers?
The Yankees (21, with more scheduled for this year), Boston Celtics (23), Montreal Canadiens (15), and Chicago Bears (14), are the four most illustrious men’s leagues. Numerous NBA teams have retired their best players’ numbers; the Los Angeles Sparks are one of them; Lisa Leslie’s No. 9 was retired.

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