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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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Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 52, Jamaal Wilkes

Jamaal Wilkes was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1974 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he helped lead the team to its first championship since the franchise moved from Philadelphia to California, as the second option behind fellow Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

He won the 1975 Rookie of the Year award, was named to the All-Rookie team, earned two All-Defensive team nods, made three All-Star teams, and won four NBA titles by the age of 31.

The most memorable moment of his career came as a member of the “Showtime Lakers” when he scored a career-high 37 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals.

He spent his entire 12-year NBA career playing in California. In fact, Wilkes’ entire basketball career dating back to his high school days, were spent in California. Wilkes spent his first three seasons in the league with the Warriors before joining the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent. After eight seasons with the Lakers, he had a brief stint with the LA Clippers before abruptly retiring just 13 games into the 1985-86 season. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game in 113 playoff games.

Honorable Mention: Buck Williams

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 51, Reggie King

Reggie King was drafted by the Kansas City Kings with the 18th overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. After a mediocre rookie season, King improved his scoring production from 8.2 points per game to 14.9 points per game in his second season in the league.

In the 1981 playoffs, he hit another gear, leading the team in scoring and rebounding during the postseason by increasing his averages to 21.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 49.2 percent from the field. He guided the Kansas City Kings to the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, but they lost in five games.

Unfortunately for King, the 1980-81 season was the best season of his career. The following season was the only other time in his career that he averaged double-digit points. He wouldn’t make another postseason appearance until he joined the Seattle Supersonics for the 1983-84 season. King retired after just six seasons in the NBA and went overseas to play professional basketball in Italy.

Honorable Mention: Boban Marjanovic