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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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Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 32, Magic Johnson

Earvin “Magic” Johnson was the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft, and the pick immediately paid dividends for the storied franchise. He averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, winning the Rookie of the Year award. He also helped Kareem Abdul-Jabaar lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals and became the youngest Finals MVP and the only rookie to win the award since its inception in 1969. Magic led the Lakers to nine trips to the Finals, winning five champions, and was named Finals MVP for three of those runs.

Listed at 6’9″, Magic’s size enhanced his court vision and allowed him to dominate a game without scoring, using his elite playmaking and ability to defend multiple positions. His fast-paced and flashy style of play introduced a new era of basketball, and the Lakers team of the 1908s became known as the “Showtime” Lakers.

He is a three-time league MVP, led the league in assists four times, steals two times, and was selected to 12 All-Star games as well as 10 All-NBA teams.

He was also a member of the 1992 Dream Team.

Magic holds the Lakers’ franchise record for most assists, steals, and triple-doubles in a single season, as well as the most assists and triple-doubles in a Lakers uniform. He also ranks sixth in assists and third in triple-doubles in the NBA all-time.

His number 32 was retired by the Lakers, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame two times, once for his individual career and once as a member of the aforementioned Dream Team.

Honorable Mention: Shaquille O’Neal

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 31, Reggie Miller

Drafted 11th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft, Reggie Miller played in the NBA for 18 years, all with the Indiana Pacers. He wore the number 31 for his entire NBA career.

Regarded as one of the best shooters of all time, Miller shot 3-pointers at a high volume before it was the cool thing to do. From Nov. 1996-April 1997, he played 69 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made.

At the time of his retirement, he held the record for the most 3-pointers made (2,560), but that record has been broken twice since then. He also led the league in 3-pointers made twice and free throw percentage five times.

The Pacers only made the playoffs two times in 10 years before drafting Reggie Miller. It would take a couple more years after they drafted him, but by his third season, the Pacers made their first of seven consecutive postseason appearances.

The Pacers made the playoffs 15 times during Miller’s 18-year tenure in Indiana. Miller played in five conference finals, finally getting over the hump and making it to the NBA Finals in 2000. The Pacers had no answer for Shaquille O’Neal and would fall to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Despite only making the NBA Finals once in his 18-year career, Miller had a reputation as one of the best clutch performers in the league. Time and time again, the five-time All-Star put the Pacers on his back and delivered masterful performances with the game on the line. Most notably, with his team down by two, he scored eight points in nine seconds during the final 20 seconds of a playoff game against the Knicks in 1995.

In 1994 he joined the 50-40-90 club with shooting splits of .503/.421/.908 while averaging 19.9 points per game. He holds almost every franchise record for the Pacers, including games played, points, 3-pointers, field goals, free throws, assists, and steals. In 1995, he became the first player in Pacers history to be voted to the All-Star game as a starter.

He was 14th all-time in scoring when he retired, but he’s currently number 25 on the NBA all-time scoring leaders. He is one of just 26 people to score at least 25,000 points in their career. In 2006, the Pacers retired Miller’s number 31 jersey, forever immortalizing their beloved sharpshooter.

Honorable Mention: Shane Battier