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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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Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 89, Clyde Lovellette

Clyde Lovellette was drafted ninth overall in the 1952 NBA Draft. He would play 11 seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks, and Boston Celtics. His rookie season, he played all 72 games and helped the Lakers win the franchise’s third consecutive title.

He averaged 8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on 42.3 percent shooting during the regular season, and in the playoffs, he increased his averages, becoming the team’s third-leading scorer with 10.5 points per game and second on the team in rebounds per game (9.7).

He switched jersey numbers following his rookie season from 89 to the number 34 fans associate him with.

Following the Lakers’ game seven victory over the Syracuse Nationals, Lovellette became the first player in basketball history to win an NCAA championship,  Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship. In 1963 after winning his first title as a member of the Celtics, he became the first player to win a championship with both the Lakers and the Celtics (Rajon Rondo is the only other player to do so).

Honorable Mention: Lou Amundson

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 88, Nicolas Batum

Nicolas Batum was drafted with the 25th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and sent to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team draft-day trade. He wore the number 88 for all seven years he played with the Trail Blazers before switching to number five following a trade to the Charlotte Hornets.

During his prime, Batum was regarded as an intelligent, versatile, and highly skilled defensive player. Despite his wiry frame, he was a solid low-post defender because of his high I.Q. and athleticism. His agility allowed him to chase guards around the court and even get the occasional chase-down block on a fast break. Batum and Wes Matthews were the defensive engines of that Portland squad of the late 2000s-early 2010s.

Though he was a third option on offense during his Portland days, he was a proficient scorer, adept at making tough shots, and even acted as a tertiary playmaker. On Nov. 16, 2012, he had arguably the best game of his career. In a two-point victory over the Houston Rockets, Batum scored a career-high 35 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and a career-high 5 blocks.

He was Portland’s personal Swiss army knife in his final three seasons with the club; from 2013-2015, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.

Honorable Mention: Antione Walker