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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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Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 22, Elgin Baylor

Elgin Baylor was drafted with the first overall pick of the 1958 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, and in his rookie season, he took a team that had the worst record in the league the year prior to an NBA Finals appearance. He would appear in the NBA Finals as a member of the Lakers seven times in his career, but they never won.

Baylor was a tremendous scorer, a solid playmaker, and a tremendous rebounder despite being listed at just 6’5″. He averaged a double-double for 11 of his 14 seasons in the NBA, and from 1961-63, he averaged 35.3 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He also recorded 26 triple-doubles during his career.

The 1959 Rookie of the Year was selected to 11 All-Star games and was named MVP of the 1959 All-Star game after he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor. From 1959-1969 Baylor was named First-team All-NBA 10 consecutive times. He averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game for his career and scored over 23,000 total points over 14 seasons. His number 22 jersey was retired by the Lakers, and in 1977 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention: Dave Debusschere

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 21, Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is arguably the greatest power forward to play the game. Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan played 19 seasons in the league, all with the Spurs.

Duncan immediately made his presence felt in the league, averaging 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game as a rookie while earning his first All-Star nod and winning Rookie of the Year. The following year he led the Spurs to its first NBA title in franchise history. In fact, Duncan was a member of every single NBA title-winning Spurs team in franchise history. He won five championships during his career and was named Finals MVP three times.

He is the only player in NBA history to receive All-NBA and All-Defensive honors in his first 13 seasons in the league. Duncan was selected to 15 All-Star games, 15 All-NBA teams, and 15 All-Defensive teams during his historic career.

The Spurs made the playoffs every season of his career, and with the exception of the 1998-99 lockout-shortened season, the Spurs never won less than 50 games under Duncan’s watch.

He was dubbed “The Big Fundamental” for his simple yet effective and efficient style of play. He possessed amazing footwork, a versatile post-game, and his signature silky smooth bank shot. He was also a great interior defender and rim protector.

Considered one of the most consistent players ever, Duncan accumulated over 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 3,000 blocks, and 1,000 steals during his playing days. He holds most of the Spurs’ franchise records, and as a reward for all his contributions to the franchise, Duncan’s number 21 jersey was retired by the Spurs upon his retirement.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett