Hoops Habit
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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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Semih Erden
Semih Erden #86 (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 86, Semi Erden

Semi Erden was selected by the Boston Celtics with the final pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He would spend the next two seasons overseas before finally making the jump from the Euroleague to the NBA.

Erden eventually made his Celtics debut on Nov. 2, 2010, against the Detroit Pistons and would go on to play 37 games with the franchise before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In a January game against the Utah Jazz, Erden had the best game of his short career. In 30 minutes off the bench, he scored 14 points while shooting five-for-five from the field, pulled down seven boards (two offensive rebounds), and racked up three steals and a block in the process.

Coincidentally, the only other player to ever wear the number 86 also played for the Celtics, and oddly enough, it was that very same season. After trading Semi Erden to the Cavaliers, the Celtics signed Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract. Johnson played four games with the Celtics wearing the number 86 before signing a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers for the remainder of the season and subsequently changing jersey numbers.

Honorable Mention: Chris Johnson

Greatest NBA Player to wear each jersey number: 85, Baron Davis

Baron Davis is the only player in league history to wear the number 85. For the first 11 and a half seasons of his career, he wore either the number one or number five, but when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2010-11 season, both numbers were already taken, and the same happened again when he signed with the New York Knicks in free agency the following year.

By this time, Davis was a shell of himself, but he still managed to average 10.8 points, 6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over the last two seasons of his career, despite coming off the bench for one-third of those games. In one spot start for the Cavs, he dropped 19 points to go with 12 dimes and 3 steals. As a member of the Knicks, he once dished out 10 assists off the bench in a winning effort against the Portland Trail Blazers.

As a New Yorker, the moment in Davis’ career that stands out the most is Game 4 in a first-round playoff matchup against the Miami Heat. While attempting a fastbreak layup, Davis dislocated his knee as he planted his foot and fell to the ground. It was one of the more gruesome injuries I’ve seen in my lifetime.