NBA
Which NBA team has the most jersey numbers retired?
The LA Lakers announce that they will retire Pau Gasol’s number 16 jersey this Tuesday to commemorate the Spaniard’s accomplishments.
Retiring a number means that for life, that specific number will never be worn by anyone else, no matter how good or how much that new player likes the number. Fans are against this move because it means they will never be able to buy that shirt number again unless they do so with the name of the player that the jersey was retired with.
The retiring of a jersey is not very ordinary. It doesn’t happen every Tuesday and twice on Sunday. This gesture is reserved for those who have become legendary with a certain franchise. The first player to ever have had his number retired in the NBA was Bob Pettit. He played for Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, which would later become the Atlanta Hawks.
But which NBA franchise has the most retired jersey numbers?
The Boston Celtics currently are the team with the most retired jersey numbers, with 25. Together with the LA Lakers, the Boston Celtics have the most NBA titles of any team. So it is understandable that they hold as many numbers retired. LA has 16 jerseys retired, with Pau Gasol making it 17 this Tuesday after his number is removed from the rotation.
Moreover, there are only three teams in the NBA with no jersey retired. The Memphis Grizzlies, The LA Clippers, and The Toronto Raptors.