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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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Ron Artest #93 of the Sacramento Kings (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Ron Artest #93 of the Sacramento Kings (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 93, Metta Sandiford-Artest

In the middle of the 2005-2006 season, Sandiford-Artest was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Sacramento Kings. At the time of the trade, the Kings had an 18-24 record and were in 12th place in the Western Conference. Furthermore, the team ranked 19th in the NBA in defensive rating and 13th in offensive rating, with a minus 0.8 net rating.

Despite concerns about his personality and character, Sandiford-Artest instantly helped the Kings turn their season around. Over the final 40 games of the season, Sacramento ranked seventh in defensive rating, eleventh in offensive rating, with a positive 4.5 net rating. They snuck into the playoffs as the eighth seed but lost in six games to the defending champions, San Antonio Spurs. For his efforts, Sandiford-Artest was named to the 2006 All-Defensive First-team.

He would go on to play two more full seasons with the Kings before an offseason trade the summer of 2008 that saw him go to the Houston Rockets. After nine consecutive postseason berths, the Kings would miss the playoffs his finals two seasons with the organization.

During his time in Sacramento, Sandiford-Artest appeared in 167 games and averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 steals in 38.4 minutes per game.

Honorable Mention: PJ Brown

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 92, DeShawn Stevenson

In 2010 DeShawn Stevenson became the first player in NBA history to wear number 92 on his jersey when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Stevenson’s reasoning behind choosing number 92 was because he wore nine with the Orlando Magic and number two with the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

Stevenson was a serviceable role player for the majority of his 13-year career, but he finally achieved the ultimate dream in 2011, in the twilight of his career. Playing with the Mavericks, Stevenson won an NBA Championship, knocking down three 3-pointers in a decisive Game 6 victory against the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. He was also a member of the New Jersey Nets in the team’s final season before the franchise relocated to Brooklyn.

A former first-round draft pick selected straight out of high school, Stevenson played in 824 regular-season games in the NBA for the Mavericks, Jazz, Magic, Wizards, Nets, and Atlanta Hawks, averaging 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Honorable Mention: Lucas Nogueira