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Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number 00-99

By Larry Hammonds

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant(L) and Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan(R) talk during a free-throw attempt during the fourth quarter 17 December at the United Center in Chicago. Bryant, who is 19 and bypassed college basketball to play in the NBA, scored a team-high 33 points off the bench, and Jordan scored a team-high 36 points. The Bulls defeated the Lakers 104-83. AFP PHOTO VINCENT LAFORET (Photo by VINCENT LAFORET / AFP) (Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant(L) and Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan(R) talk during a free-throw attempt during the fourth quarter 17 December at the United Center in Chicago. Bryant, who is 19 and bypassed college basketball to play in the NBA, scored a team-high 33 points off the bench, and Jordan scored a team-high 36 points. The Bulls defeated the Lakers 104-83. AFP PHOTO VINCENT LAFORET (Photo by VINCENT LAFORET / AFP) (Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Francisco Elson
Francisco Elson #56 (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 56, Francisco Elson

The Denver Nuggets selected Francisco Marinho Robby Elson with a second-round draft pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, but he would spend the next four years playing in Spain before making his NBA debut with the Nuggets in 2003. In the 2003-2004 season, Elson and Brandon Hunter of the Boston Celtics became the first two players in NBA history to wear the number 56.

He played three seasons with the Nuggets before signing a free-agent deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He made the playoffs each of his first four seasons in the NBA and became the first Dutch player to win an NBA championship while playing for the Spurs in 2007.

Outside of winning a title with the Spurs, Elson had an underwhelming NBA career and is most famous for calling Kevin Garnett gay after the latter hit him in the groin during a postseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves during his rookie year.

Honorable Mention:  Brandon Hunter

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 55, Dikembe Mutombo

There have been over 100 different players to wear the number 55, and Dikembe Mutombo is by far the greatest of them all. He was never regarded as a proficient scorer, but he is one of the greatest defenders and shot blockers of all time.

He wore the number 55 for his entire NBA career, and his number had been retired by the Atlanta Hawks as well as the Denver Nuggets. During his playing days, Mutombo would notoriously waive his finger whenever he blocked a shot, implying you could not score on him, and to his credit, it was nearly impossible to score in the paint while he was in his prime.

He’s an eight-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive (three First-team, three Second-Team), four-time Defensive Player of the year, three-time block champion, three-time All-NBA, and a two-time rebounding champion. Mutombo retired with 3,289 total blocks, second only to Hakeem Olajuwon.

Playing alongside Allen Iverson, he helped the Philadelphia 76ers reach the NBA Finals in 2001, but they would fall in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the New Jersey Nets for the run at a title in 2003, but injuries limited his impact and playing time.

He would continue to play in the league for six more seasons despite the toll injuries placed on his 7’2 frame. In 2009 he ruptured his quadriceps tendon in a playoff game and subsequently retired from the NBA after 18 seasons.

Honorable Mention: Kiki Vandeweghe