LeBron's changing his number

[Suicide Squeezer]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4650907

LeBron James is changing his jersey number to 6 and wants everyone else in the NBA wearing No. 23 to follow suit too so Jordan's iconic digits can be properly honored.

James knew damn well what he was getting into when he picked the number coming into the league. My question is, is this a legitimate stand by James or simply just him wanting to be the guy that who years down the road can say it got done because of him ( if, in fact, it is accomplished).

Seems like a ploy simply to sell some more hideous Cavs jerseys, imo. SportsJournalists.com's thoughts?

 

[Den1983]

I think this is so ridiculous.

Jordan was a great, great basketball player, obviously. But there will be greater players to come along, and it will get to the point where it will become silly to retire the number of each.

Jordan brought the NBA to a whole new level in the late 80s and 90s. But he didn’t save the game – Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did.

Jordan didn’t score the most points ever or win the most championships ever. Those titles belong to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, respectively.

There will never be another Michael Jordan, but there will be greater players.

There were great players before Jordan. There will be great players after Jordan.

If the NBA retires 23, then it should retire 6, 32 and 33 as well.

 

[Stoney]

I hope the remainder of the league's 23s continue wearing their number just to tell King James to stick it up his ass.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

LeBron wants his jersey to be No. 1. Changing the number (and hopefully not the team) will do that.

 

[Starman]

Ahhhh, No. 23 should be sacred, never worn again by anybody, but No. 6 is fair game?

Uhhhh... no.

 

[Starman]

I think this is so ridiculous.

Jordan was a great, great basketball player, obviously. But there will be greater players to come along, and it will get to the point where it will become silly to retire the number of each.

Jordan brought the NBA to a whole new level in the late 80s and 90s. But he didn’t save the game – Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did.

Jordan didn’t score the most points ever or win the most championships ever. Those titles belong to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, respectively.

There will never be another Michael Jordan, but there will be greater players.

There were great players before Jordan. There will be great players after Jordan.

If the NBA retires 23, then it should retire 6, 32 and 33 as well.

And 14 (Robertson/Cousy), 13 (Wilt), and 99 (Mikan) -- for starters. 21 (Duncan, the key player on a 4-time champion) is in the running too.

League-wide number retirements are stupid anyway -- it should never occur unless the player is clearly, indisputably, the one most valuable and influential player in the history of the game, which means of course it should never happen.

Personally I do believe Jordan is the greatest player ever, but there are several other credible contenders for that distinction.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4650907

Seems like a ploy simply to sell some more hideous Cavs jerseys, imo.

Hell yes.

 

[Gator]

Does this mean the NBA would have to retire No. 45, too, for the short time that Jordan wore that? But I agree that it's flat out stupid to have a league-wide number retirement. I can see Jackie Robinson, and to be honest, I can see Gretzky (and Dale Ernhardt), but that's about it.

 

[Starman]

Does this mean the NBA would have to retire No. 45, too, for the short time that Jordan wore that? But I agree that it's flat out stupid to have a league-wide number retirement. I can see Jackie Robinson, and to be honest, I can see Gretzky (and Dale Ernhardt), but that's about it.

The Jackie Robinson number retirement was a disingenuous cover-your-ass move by Bud Selig, in a frantic attempt to make up for MLB's lame-ass job in recognizing Robinson from 1947-2005, and a desperate shot to help pump up the sagging number of African-American youths taking up baseball as a career choice.

The Gretzky retirement was absurd. What about #9?

 

[Gator]

Does this mean the NBA would have to retire No. 45, too, for the short time that Jordan wore that? But I agree that it's flat out stupid to have a league-wide number retirement. I can see Jackie Robinson, and to be honest, I can see Gretzky (and Dale Ernhardt), but that's about it.

The Jackie Robinson number retirement was a disingenuous cover-your-ass move by Bud Selig, in a frantic attempt to make up for MLB's lame-ass job in recognizing Robinson from 1947-2005, and a desperate shot to help pump up the sagging number of African-American youths taking up baseball as a career choice.

The Gretzky retirement was absurd. What about #9?

Yeah, I almost had that, too. Ron Harper was great.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

If the NHL were to retire another number league-wide, it should be Bobby Orr's No. 4 before Gordie. But that's just my opinion.

I feel the only reason why LeBron is doing this is strictly to sell more jerseys. Jordan was a great player, yes, but he took the passing out of the league and turned it into a one-on-one show. And what is he known for now? Gambling and being a prick *******. Nice to see him, by the way, courtside for that Cavs game. How many hours has he spent in the Bobcats' office so far?

Anyway, I'm still miffed that Jordan was named ESPN's Athlete of the Century. That was a farce.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

"There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade, you name all the best players in the league right now and the last 10 years, there would be none of us without Michael Jordan."

Some say Jordan had a progenitor or two.

Yeah . . . based on stature and the things he says, LeBron James is the current league leader in talking out of his ass.

Just validates further the view that the younger generation thinks the pre-ESPN world didn't exist. But it's the type of statement I'd expect from an Ohio native who had a great Indians team to root for as a kid, but saw the Yankees winning it all half a country away and said "Uh . .that's my TEAM!!!!!" then wore the damn hat to a playoff game in his hometown when he became a big star.

Alas, if only the Tribe had pulled it off in 1995 or if Mesa doesn't blow 1997, LeBron would be completely beholden to Ohio.

 

[huntsie]

Personally, I like the idea of a particular number going to a star or the best player on the team. For years in the NHL, the number was 9 -- Richard, Howe, Bobby Hull, Andy Bathgate. Johnny Bucyk wore it for the Bruins.
Now 19 has become the number of the stars -- Trottier with the Islanders, Yzerman with the Wings, Thornton with the Sharks, Sakic with the Avs...I'm sure there are others.
Retiring a number league wide is dumb...even the Robinson number in baseball. If a kid wanted to wear 42 in tribute to Robinson, or 99 in tribute to Gretzky (or say, Wilf Paiement), he should be allowed to do so. Then, when people ask him about the number, he can say its in memory or in tribute to Robinson/Gretzky/Jordan and the name and the legacy is rekindled again.
I like the Leaf tradition of honouring numbers rather than out and out retiring them.
Plus, it slows the ridiculous wearing of football type numbers in hockey. Liked it much better when hockey numbers were 1 to 30. Tony Esposito started wearing 35 and it all went to hell...

 

[heyabbott]

STFU LeBron and win something. Just more self promotion. Stick what you do best LeKing, getting a Hummer from Mom and scoring points in a game.

Jordan doesn't deserve his number retired league wide. If Russell, Wilt, Magic and Bird, then MJ

 

[Den1983]

I think this is so ridiculous.

Jordan was a great, great basketball player, obviously. But there will be greater players to come along, and it will get to the point where it will become silly to retire the number of each.

Jordan brought the NBA to a whole new level in the late 80s and 90s. But he didn’t save the game – Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did.

Jordan didn’t score the most points ever or win the most championships ever. Those titles belong to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, respectively.

There will never be another Michael Jordan, but there will be greater players.

There were great players before Jordan. There will be great players after Jordan.

If the NBA retires 23, then it should retire 6, 32 and 33 as well.

And 14 (Robertson/Cousy), 13 (Wilt), and 99 (Mikan) -- for starters. 21 (Duncan, the key player on a 4-time champion) is in the running too.

League-wide number retirements are stupid anyway -- it should never occur unless the player is clearly, indisputably, the one most valuable and influential player in the history of the game, which means of course it should never happen.

Personally I do believe Jordan is the greatest player ever, but there are several other credible contenders for that distinction.

Exactly. I knew I left some names off, because the bottom line is retiring 23 opens up a huge can of worms.

 

[poindexter]

I'm unclear on the concept here.

Michael Jordan hasn't received enough recognition?

 

[Mystery Meat II]

You are now aware that you'd have to buy a new jersey anyway since he'll be in New York or Miami or somewhere that isn't Cleveland.

 

[slytiger]

I wonder if Nike put him up to it? Just think of the commemorative Air Jordan sales.

 

[albert77]

I wonder if Nike put him up to it? Just think of the commemorative Air Jordan sales.

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!