If I Were Commish
This segment will emerge from time to time (as events warrant) as a way of us expressing our views on sports-related items.
LeBron and #23: The Retirement
Word is that LeBron James wants to be among the last in the NBA to wear #23, and is trying to get other players to give up the number next year in honor of Michael Jordan.
I have two problems with this.
First, this is extremely disrespectful to all of the people who plopped down good money to buy a LeBron James jersey, and who’ll now have to get his newer edition. This is not unprecedented. Kobe Bryant supposedly his Laker #8 for his older high school #24.
Michael Jordan was Chicago’s #23 until he retired. When he came out of retirement, he donned #45. I’m sure the Bulls would’ve given him his original number if he’d had asked, but Jordan seemed okay with the rules.
The only other sport where a number has been retired league-wide is baseball where Jackie Robinson’s #42 has been retired. Michael Jordan’s contribution to basketball is significant, but to compare him to Jackie Robinson is a stretch. What LeBron also failed to take into account is that by retiring #23 league-wide in honor of Jordan, that would also be diminishing the other legendary #23’s that have been retired: Sam Jones (Celtics), Rick Barry (Golden State), Moses Malone (Houston), Bill Bradley(New York), Bobby Jones (Philadelphia), and Tom Chambers (Phoenix).
November 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
All I can say is that 23 in the NBA is a hell of a number. If it has that much history behind LeBron should be proud to keep up the tradition of 23 greatness.