Durant is a truly modern player, as hes a 7-footer who shoots threes with ease. McDavid is clearly going to be the kind of player who dominates the NHL for years at a time. We didnt have to think about this for a second. 1. 97. Even though he wore 45 for a bit, LeBron also wore No. He helped change the position, showing that a tight end could be a de facto receiver out there. However, 30 is a goalies number, and we wanted to give the honor to one of the best goalies to ever man the crease. Can you imagine a 6-foot-7 linebacker? Hes won two Art Ross Trophies and one Hart already. However, he led the American League in ERA twice and won a Cy Young in 1978. What a slouch! If not for that, he might have become the third-ever player to notch 800 goals. Did you know that he still has more RBI than anybody in MLB history, or that hes third in hits? Why hes here: One of the greatest pichers ever, Maddux won four straight Cy Youngs and was elected to the Hall of Fame in a landslide on his first try. He's sixth in career hits and has a career batting average of .310. 53, thats not going to happen for any young Dodgers players. This was a tough one. He was forced to retire at 30 -- but he left behind a sport changed forever. Martinez had a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Why hes here: At some point, Clayton Kershaw might eventually hold this spot but for now were going with the much longer and still stellar career of Palmer. Thomas numbers could have been even better, but he unfortunately died in a car accident after the 1999 season. He also started the trend of NBA teams taking risks on European players, which gave us Pau Gasol but also Darko Milicic. 00 Jim Otto to No. Michael Jordan. From Diana Taurasi at No. 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. 56 is even close. The Russian fell just under 500 goals in his career, but it didnt keep him out of the Hall of Fame. 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. For certain numbers, itis almost impossible to choose one top athlete. Hes second in career whiffs behind only Nolan Ryan, who played forever. Not that we had any choice here. Mantle still wins. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 .more. Mathis also had a penchant for punching out balls, as he led the NFL in forced fumbles three times. 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. We considered Doak Walker, mostly for his college career as he only played a few seasons in the NFL. There have been many outstanding athletes to dawn the number 23. Sure, Bourque wore seven until it was retired for Phil Esposito. Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player. Hes done so many incredible things already, and hes not quite done yet. 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. Some may call this heresy. Derek Jeters #2 jerseys are still being sold to MLB fans years after his retirement,which shows just how much a number can mean to a player and how much a number can become synonymous with a player. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. There was no fixed numbering until the 90s. Andy Robustelli's years of faithful service merit him keeping his left hand on this number, but another Giant, Amani Toomer, gets to keep his right . NBA fans have representation, as well, with Joe Dumars, Charles Barkley, and Chris Webber among the famous players to wear the number. That was pretty awesome for a couple of years. 1 among numbers 1. Honorable mentions: Jim Edmonds, Red Ruffing, Dustin Pedroia. He spent almost the entirety of his career with the Cowboys, making six straight All-Pro squads. 9. But lets shout out two other quarterbacks who wore 12: Terry Bradshaw and Joe Namath. 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. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey might be the most famous NFL athlete wearing No. Before that, though, he had a long, successful career on the field. Matthews had a lengthy career, playing from the time he was 22 until he was 40. Bobby Orr, quite simply, transformed hockey. While Johnson had a couple of seasons wearing other numbers, the Big Unit was the clear choice here. He deservedly is in his sports Hall of Fame, unlike another guy who wore 47, Jack Morris. 3 to Lisa Leslie at No. 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. Why hes here: Ruth was, without a doubt, the single most transformative player in baseball history. USA Today Sports compiled a list of some of the best athletes across all sports to wear each number, from 00 to 99. 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. Since the other choices at 14 werent incredibly obvious, Bob Cousy, Pete Rose, et al, we decided to honor Cruyff here. Taylor is considered by some the best defensive player ever. He also happened to make 14 Pro Bowls, which got him into the Hall. Fun fact: With Williams away fighting in World War II, catcher Johnny Peacock wore No. (Yes, he pitched too.) 62. Before him, defensemen were just that: defenders. So instead, were going with Theodore, who wore an odd number for a goalie. 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: The Cobra was a legitimate star in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning an MVP, two batting titles and three Gold Gloves. 64 are even more umipressive than Bonifacio. Even though he didnt start his career until he was 24, after fulfilling his naval duties, he put together a Hall of Fame career. Foyt, Racing; Ernie Banks, MLB; Y.A. Allen was actually named to the Hall of Fames All-Decade team in both the 90s and the 2000s. 70, but he wore it when he made six straight Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams, all for the Cowboys. He played more games at first base than anyone. Magic Johnson? Detroit sports fans are going to be feeling pretty good here. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Wayne Chrebet . We also considered John Havlicek, who notablyonce stole the ball. It's the day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball and debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers.. With his incredible length, Hendricks blocked 25 field goals in his career. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Though he often battled injuries, Larkin was an All-Star 12 times, won the 1995 NL MVP and hit .338 in his 17 career postseason games for Cincinnati. Oh, and he won four Super Bowls. All Rights Reserved. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. However, just including his time with the Giants he had a .312/.477/.666 slash line with 586 home runs. 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. Data Provided By Several of the greats share the same number (Looking at you, No. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 11-99, and why, grab a copy at your nearest book store or go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Utah Jazz ( 12) Cory Alexander. 1 all-time. He won 266 games and threw three no-hitters in his 18-year career with the Indians, and that total would have undoubtedly been higher had he not missed three-and-a-half seasons (when he was 23 to 26 years old) serving in the military during World War II. Williams set out to be the greatest hitter that ever lived, and it's hard to argue he wasn't. Ovechkin is still an active player who, hopefully, has a few more years left in his career. We go from a Red Wings legend to the greatest Lions player of all time. Honorable mentions: Dwight Gooden, Hal Newhouser, Ted Lyons. Why he's here: The future Hall of Famer wore No. Nobody was as defensively formidable as Robinson in his heyday. The Team clue is for the team that that athlete is most notable for while wearing the #23, not their current teams. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. All rights reserved. 3? One guy who was hard to strikeout? Sure, Jeter is a tad overrated because he spent his entire career playing for the Yankees and was their captain. Join our linker program. In 2015, he was an All-Star and won AL Comeback Player of the Year. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. The Cowboy and Bronco led the NFL in sacks twice and tackles for loss three times. He played only nine games for the Red Sox and posted a 42 OPS+, but he also had one of the most memorable moments from. Still, Kuechenberg made six Pro Bowls as a guard for the Dolphins, including on the legendary undefeated Miami squad. To celebrate the NFL's 100th season, the USA TODAY Sports Network is . Sometimes Owens personality overshadowed his play. Why he's here: A few years ago, he looked like a budding superstar. Stats: .310 batting average, 260 home runs, 1,311 RBIs, League: NBA Abdul-Jabbar has more points than anybody in NBA history. At least Daz, who wore No. Brady and the No. 66. Honorable mentions: Minnie Minoso, Reggie Jackson, Bill Mazeroski. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Offensive linemen maybe arent the most exciting players to talk about, but excellence should be recognized. Still, that was his number from 1980 until 1993, so he is our pick. Full Site Menu. He was all over the field for the Bears and actually had 41.5 sacks in his career as well. Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak might never be topped. 5, as did Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio. Nash was not just a first overall pick, but the first pick in Columbus Blue Jackets history. 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,. Always free! We can see why. When Don Larsen threw his perfect game in the '56 World Series, who do you think was behind the plate? LT was named Defensive Player of the Year three times with the Giants. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. A lot of these athletes have worn other numbers as well. Fun fact: Kramer also served as the Green Bay kicker for three seasons. P.K. Do you have a blog? 10: Lloyd Waner . Ward is also famous for his vicious blocks, which isnt something every receiver is known to want to do. His numbers may never be beaten. You know a goalie carried his team when that happens. So check out the list of athletes who wore 3 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Why he's here: Belle wore No. We dont think so. If Orr isnt the best defenseman of all time, Lidstrom is. 47. 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. (Keep reading to find out if we did.) Parish earned those rings by taking on three of the league's. Playing tight end, he twice led the NFL in receptions and made five Pro Bowls. I chose players based on their individual statistics . In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. Sure, hes in the Hall of Fame, but the man was All-Pro six times and won Defensive Player of the Year once. In the 1993-94 season he won the Hart with 120 points but also won the Selke for best defensive forward. Lemieuxs 66 is one of the iconic numbers in NHL history. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. More than 48,000 runners took on the race from Greenwich to The Mall - up . The Hall of Famer was an easy choice. Fitzgerald has been around the NFL for a long time, all of which hes been in Arizona, where sometimes hes had terrible quarterbacks. 67 for five seasons, far more than any other player. He was one of the first stars of NASCAR, and some still consider him the best driver ever. 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. Ranking the greatest athletes from every sport to ever don those magic jersey numbers. Soccer player of the century? That game was an aberration for Larsen, who otherwise had a middling career, but it was right on track for Berra, who was on the receiving end of 173 shutouts. Honorable mentions: Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Jim Rice. Hes still had an excellent career. 84 when he was with the Vikings. The number suited him well. We have a run on linebackers. 73 for 11 seasons. Honorable mentions: Billy Williams, Chase Utley, Amos Otis. Michael Jordan changed the NBA. He captured the nations attention with his prodigious power three years after Wally Pipp led the AL with nine home runs, for example, Ruth swatted 54 for the Yankees in 1920 and engaging personality. Michael Irvin was also a fine player who wore No. Even NHL players like Bobby Orr and Scott Stevens sported the 4 on their backs while making an impact in their sport. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The Chief is a Hall of Famer, but Westbrook will be joining him someday. Why he's here: The 1978 AL Cy Young winner led the AL in wins twice and ERA twice and had his number retired by the Yankees. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. . Major League Baseball retired Robinsons number across the league. When he can finally take the court for Brooklyn, that will probably be true as well, though he did wear No. Jim Brown?) Plus, there was the playoff heroics for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. The best players to wear 2 as their jersey number have crafted strong legacies with it. The Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. Join our linker program. This is tricky for the athletes who have worn a couple of numbers with semi-regularity for example, Kobe Bryant. 1. Honorable mentions: Ichiro Suzuki, Willie McGee, Trevor Hoffman. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Hockey is also strongly represented with Brett Hull and Mike Bossy among others to sport the number in the NHL. 13. He created the archetype of the modern slugger, and his exploits on and off the field made him the perfect Jazz Age superstar. However, we are of the belief that Messi, Barcelona and Argentinas legend, is the best of the bunch. Why he's here: Not much to choose from, to be honest. He was able to just beat out the wide receiver Steve Smith. However, the last couple of years have been tough for the defenseman. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Probably before his iconic Coca-Cola ad. 46 for an extended period. Honorable mentions: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina, Cole Hamels. No, seriously. The Say Hey Kid won two MVPs and 12 Gold Gloves, and he made 24 All-Star Games wearing No. Apparently Pittsburgh Penguins history is filled with great players who wear unusual numbers. Peterson cant compete with that. One day, though, Cruyff decided to wear 14 and then tried to wear it whenever he could. Even then, though, Woodson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. No one looks back at Belle's two-year Oriole career fondly, but he did put up some big numbers for the Birds. He won the 1977 AL MVP when he batted .388 with 16 triples, 14 homers, 100 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 128 runs scored for the Twins. Honorable mentions: Charlie Gehringer, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst. Why he's here: Five Cy Youngs, 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts.The Big Unit is the obvious choice. Honorable mentions: Chipper Jones, Ron Santo, Andre Dawson. Eck was the AL MVP and Cy Young winner in 1992 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. This was not an easy one. Orr led the NHL in scoring in 1969-70, and at the same time was rugged in his own zone. 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. The Yankee Clipper has the numbers and the accolades: three MVPs, .325 average, nine World Series rings. Nobody beats the Babe. Jones, NBA, Wade Boggs, MLB; Rod Woodson, NFL;Herb Adderley, NFL; Billy Williams, MLB, Juan Marichal, MLB; Eddie George, NFL; Vladimir Guerrero, MLB; ScottNiedermayer, NHL; Mike Trout, MLB, Marshall Faulk, NFL; Bert Blyleven, MLB; Darrell Green, NFL, Eric Dickerson, NFL; Satchel Paige, MLB; Rod Carew, MLB; John Smoltz, MLB; Ken Dryden, NHL, Nolan Ryan, MLB; Martin Brodeur, NHL; Terrell Davis, NFL; Stephen Curry, NBA; Maury Wills, MLB; Bernard King, NBA, Greg Maddux, MLB; Reggie Miller, NBA; Fergie Jenkins, MLB; Dave Winfield, MLB; Billy Smith, NHL; Mike Piazza, MLB; Donnie Shell, NFL, Magic Johnson, NBA; Jim Brown, NFL; O.J. Sure, he made only two All-Star teams, but in one season he won not just the Vezina but also the Hart. Mathis got overshadowed by Dwight Freeney, but he was a great pass rusher in his own right. While the number he wore, number 42, has always been special and acknowledged throughout the Majors Leagues, especially since Jackie Robinson's induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, the day has . Well, he could have been the first overall pick, and he still would have had a stellar career. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. Hes not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be one day soon (he was just 23 votes shy of being part of the Class of 2016). Why hes here: Because it's the Internet, and the Internet loves Bartolo. 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. For now, though, we're running from zero to 99 to find the best athlete for each number. And is No. 77 for just one season, but he's Pudge. The fact he wasnt Defensive Player of the Year that season was baffling. Orr scored 100 points in a season six times, before his knees failed him too young. "He had fame that transcended mere celebrity," Ron Fimrite wrote in SI in '99. The two-time MVP was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. Injuries caught up to Santana and will keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but at his peak he was incredible. Why hes here: The Hall of Famer won the Cy Young in both leagues, registered 314 wins and struck out 3,534 batters.