See how many NBA players have had their jerseys retired and the significance of the honour, here is the list of the all-time retired numbers
The number of a basketball player’s jersey being retired by his team is among the greatest distinctions a player in the NBA can have.
Retirement recognises that no other player from that club may wear the number again, honouring the quality of the individual who once represented the organisation.
Advertisement
List of all retired jersey numbers and players teams in the NBA
Over the years, many NBA teams have honoured representatives by retiring their numbers.
Together with the players, important franchise members such as coaches, executives, and commentators have seen their numbers elevated to the rafters.
At the moment, 14 players have had their jerseys retired by various teams:
Advertisement
- Pete Maravich
- Nate Thurmond
- Bob Lanier
- Michael Jordan
- Charles Barkley
- Earl Monroe
- Clyde Drexler
- Oscar Robertson
- Moses Malone
- Julius Erving
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Dikembe Mutombo
Bill Russell is the only player whose jersey number has been retired league-wide.
The Boston Celtics great is regarded as the most successful basketball player in history after winning 11 NBA titles, earning five MVP awards, and being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Advertisement
Complete list of retired player numbers in the NBA
| Team | Player name | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Bob Pettit | 9 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Dominique Wilkins | 21 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Lou Hudson | 23 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Jason Collier | 40 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Pete Maravich | 44 |
| Atlanta Hawks | Dikeme Mutombo | 55 |
| Boston Celtics | Robert Parish | 00 |
| Boston Celtics | Walter Brown | 1 |
| Boston Celtics | ‘Red’ Auerbach | 2 |
| Boston Celtics | Dennis Johnson | 3 |
| Boston Celtics | Kevin Garnett | 5 |
| Boston Celtics | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Boston Celtics | Jo Jo White | 10 |
| Boston Celtics | Bob Cousy | 14 |
| Boston Celtics | Tom Heinsohn | 15 |
| Boston Celtics | Tom Sanders | 16 |
| Boston Celtics | John Havlicek | 17 |
| Boston Celtics | Dave Cowens | 18 |
| Boston Celtics | Don Nelson | 19 |
| Boston Celtics | Bill Sharman | 21 |
| Boston Celtics | Ed Macauley | 22 |
| Boston Celtics | Frank Ramsey | 23 |
| Boston Celtics | Sam Jones | 24 |
| Boston Celtics | K.C. Jones | 25 |
| Boston Celtics | Cedric Maxwell | 31 |
| Boston Celtics | Kevin McHale | 32 |
| Boston Celtics | Larry Bird | 33 |
| Boston Celtics | Paul Pierce | 34 |
| Boston Celtics | Reggie Lewis | 35 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Drazen Petrovic | 3 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Jason Kidd | 5 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Brooklyn Nets | John Williamson | 23 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Bill Melchionni | 25 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Julis Erving | 32 |
| Brooklyn Nets | Buck Williams | 52 |
| Charlotte Hornets | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Charlotte Hornets | Bobby Phills | 13 |
| Chicago Bulls | Jerry Sloan | 4 |
| Chicago Bulls | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Chicago Bulls | Bob Love | 10 |
| Chicago Bulls | Michael Jordan | 23 |
| Chicago Bulls | Scottie Pippen | 33 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Bingo Smith | 7 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Zyndrunas Ilgauskas | 11 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Larry Nance | 22 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Mark Price | 25 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | 34 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Nate Thurmond | 42 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Brad Daugherty | 43 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Derek Harpet | 12 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Brad Davis | 15 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Rolando Blackman | 22 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Dirk Nowitzki | 41 |
| Denver Nuggets | Alex English | 2 |
| Denver Nuggets | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Denver Nuggets | Fat Lever | 12 |
| Denver Nuggets | David Thompson | 33 |
| Denver Nuggets | Byron Beck | 40 |
| Denver Nuggets | Dan Issel | 44 |
| Denver Nuggets | Dikembe Mutombo | 55 |
| Detroit Pistons | Chauncey Billups | 1 |
| Detroit Pistons | Chuck Daly | 2 |
| Detroit Pistons | Ben Wallace | 3 |
| Detroit Pistons | Joe Dumars | 4 |
| Detroit Pistons | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Detroit Pistons | Dennis Rodman | 10 |
| Detroit Pistons | Isiah Thomas | 11 |
| Detroit Pistons | Vinnie Johnson | 15 |
| Detroit Pistons | Bob Lanier | 16 |
| Detroit Pistons | Dave Bing | 21 |
| Detroit Pistons | Richard Hamilton | 32 |
| Detroit Pistons | Bill Laimbeer | 40 |
| Golden State Warriors | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Golden State Warriors | Wilt Chamberlain | 13 |
| Golden State Warriors | Tom Meschery | 14 |
| Golden State Warriors | Al Attles | 16 |
| Golden State Warriors | Chris Mullin | 17 |
| Golden State Warriors | Rick Barry | 24 |
| Golden State Warriors | Nate Thurmond | 42 |
| Houston Rockets | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Houston Rockets | Ming Yao | 11 |
| Houston Rockets | Clyde Drexler | 22 |
| Houston Rockets | Calvin Murphy | 23 |
| Houston Rockets | Moses Malone | 24 |
| Houston Rockets | Hakeem Olajuwon | 34 |
| Houston Rockets | Rudy Tomjanovich | 45 |
| Indiana Pacers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Indiana Pacers | George McGinnis | 30 |
| Indiana Pacers | Reggie Miller | 31 |
| Indiana Pacers | Mel Daniels | 34 |
| Indiana Pacers | Roger Brown | 35 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Kobe Bryant | 8, 24 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Wilt Chamberlain | 13 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Pau Gasol | 16 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Elgin Baylor | 22 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Gail Goodrich | 25 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Magic Johnson | 32 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 33 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Shaquille O’Neal | 34 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | James Worthy | 42 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Jerry West | 44 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Jamaal Wilkes | 52 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Tony Allen | 9 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Zach Randolph | 50 |
| Miami Heat | Chris Bosh | 1 |
| Miami Heat | Dwyane Wade | 3 |
| Miami Heat | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Miami Heat | Tim Hardaway | 10 |
| Miami Heat | Michael Jordan | 23 |
| Miami Heat | Shaquille O’Neal | 32 |
| Miami Heat | Alonzo Mourning | 33 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Oscar Robertson | 1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Junior Bridgeman | 2 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Sidney Moncrief | 4 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Marques Johnson | 8 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Jon McGlocklin | 14 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Bob Lanier | 16 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Brian Winters | 32 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 33 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Malik Sealy | 2 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Bill Russell | 6 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Bill Russell | 6 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Pete Maravich | 7 |
| New York Knicks | Bill Russell | 6 |
| New York Knicks | Walt Frazier | 10 |
| New York Knicks | Dick Barnett | 12 |
| New York Knicks | Dick McGuire | 15 |
| New York Knicks | Earl Monroe | 15 |
| New York Knicks | Willis Reed | 19 |
| New York Knicks | Dave DeBusschere | 22 |
| New York Knicks | Bill Bradley | 24 |
| New York Knicks | Pat Ewing | 33 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Gus Williams | 1 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Nick Collison | 4 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Nate McMillan | 10 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Lenny Wilkens | 19 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Spencer Haywood | 24 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Fred Brown | 32 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Jack Sikma | 43 |
| Orlando Magic | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Moses Malone | 2 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | 3 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Dolph Schayes | 4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Julius Erving | 6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Mo Cheeks | 10 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Wilt Chamberlain | 13 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Hal Greer | 15 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Bobby Jones | 24 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Billy Cunningham | 32 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Charles Barkley | 34 |
| Phoenix Suns | Dick Van Arsdale | 5 |
| Phoenix Suns | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Phoenix Suns | Walter Davis | 6 |
| Phoenix Suns | Kevin Johnson | 7 |
| Phoenix Suns | Dan Majerle | 9 |
| Phoenix Suns | Steve Nash | 13 |
| Phoenix Suns | Tom Chambers | 23 |
| Phoenix Suns | Alvan Adams | 33 |
| Phoenix Suns | Charles Barkley | 34 |
| Phoenix Suns | Connie Hawkins | 42 |
| Phoenix Suns | Paul Westphal | 44 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Dave Twardzik | 13 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Lionel Hollins | 14 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Larry Steele | 15 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Maurice Lucas | 20 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Clyde Drexler | 22 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Bobby Gross | 30 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Terry Porter | 30 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Walton | 32 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Lloyd Neal | 36 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Geoff Petrie | 45 |
| Sacramento Kings | Nate Archibald | 1 |
| Sacramento Kings | Mitch Richmond | 3 |
| Sacramento Kings | Chris Webber | 4 |
| Sacramento Kings | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Sacramento Kings | Bob Davies | 11 |
| Sacramento Kings | Maurice Stokes | 12 |
| Sacramento Kings | Oscar Robertson | 14 |
| Sacramento Kings | Peja Stojakovic | 16 |
| Sacramento Kings | Vlade Divac | 21 |
| Sacramento Kings | Jack Twyman | 27 |
| Sacramento Kings | Sam Lacey | 44 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Johnny Moore | 00 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Avery Johnson | 6 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Bill Russell | 6 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Tony Parker | 9 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Bruce Bowen | 12 |
| San Antonio Spurs | James Silas | 13 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Manu Ginobili | 20 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Tim Duncan | 21 |
| San Antonio Spurs | Sean Elliott | 32 |
| San Antonio Spurs | George Gervin | 44 |
| San Antonio Spurs | David Robertson | 50 |
| Toronto Raptors | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Utah Jazz | Frank Layden | 1 |
| Utah Jazz | Adrian Dantley | 4 |
| Utah Jazz | Pete Maravich | 7 |
| Utah Jazz | John Stockton | 12 |
| Utah Jazz | Jeff Hornacek | 14 |
| Utah Jazz | Karl Malone | 32 |
| Utah Jazz | Darrell Griffith | 35 |
| Utah Jazz | Mark Eaton | 53 |
| Washington Wizards | Bill Russell | 6 |
| Washington Wizards | Earl Monroe | 10 |
| Washington Wizards | Elvin Hayes | 11 |
| Washington Wizards | Gus Johnson | 25 |
| Washington Wizards | Wes Unseld | 41 |
| Washington Wizards | Phil Chenier | 45 |