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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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John Stockton
John Stockton (Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 12, John Stockton

John Stockton was selected with the 16th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 1984 NBA Draft, and he would spend his entire career with the franchise. One of the most durable athletes of all time. He only missed 22 games in 19 seasons in the NBA.

Stockton wasn’t very athletic, and he didn’t possess much speed either, but what he lacked in those aspects he made up for with his high basketball I.Q. and toughness. He was a pesky and physical defender and is the NBA’S all-time leader in steals.

From 1988 to 1996, Stockton led the league in assists for nine consecutive seasons, averaging 15.7 points and 13.1 assists per game during that span. He also led the league in steals twice and was named to four All-Defensive teams during that span.

Although he played with a pass-first mentality, Stockton was an efficient scorer, shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 38.4 percent on 3-pointers for his career. He was selected to 10 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams, and five All-Defensive teams during his 19-year career. He was also a member of the 1992 Dream Team and won two gold medals representing the United States in the Olympics.

The Hall of Fame point guard holds the NBA records for most assists (15,806) and steals (3,265) all-time, and it doesn’t look like anyone is going to be breaking those records anytime soon.

Honorable Mention: Dwight Howard

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 11, Elvin Hayes

Elvin Hayes was the number one overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft. Playing for the San Diego Rockets, Hayes led the league in scoring as a rookie and finished the season with averages of 28.4 points and 17.8 rebounds per game. Despite his stellar individual play, he was overlooked for the Rookie of the Year award due to his team’s poor record.

From 1969-1980, Hayes averaged 23.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game while leading the league in rebounding twice.

As durable as they come, Hayes never missed more than two games in any of his 16 seasons in the NBA. The 6’9″ power forward was selected to 12 consecutive All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, and two All-Defensive teams during his 16-year career.

Hayes made three trips to the NBA Finals as a member of the Washington Bullets, falling short the first two times before finally getting over the hump in 1978, delivering the franchise its first and only championship.

He holds the Washington Wizards (formerly known as the Bullets) franchise records for most field-goals, free throws, blocks, and points all-time. Though he was still an active player at the time, the franchise retired his number 11 jersey in 1981, an indication of his impact on the franchise.

Honorable Mention: Isaiah Thomas