One of the highest regards in sports is to have your number retired, not just by your team, but by the association. In the vast years, and the thousands of players, only a lucky few have been graced with this honor.
This subject was recently under discussion after Thursday night's Cavaliers-Heat game. LeBron James blurted the idea during an interview, not to honor himself, but to honor and respect a former NBA superstar, Michael Jordan. LeBron has been sporting #23, the number most associated with Jordan, and decided the number should go into retirement for good. And what does this mean for other players with the #23? Well, James suggests everyone choose a different number. In order for the removal of the #23 from NBA jerseys, James would have to file a petition and get the signatures of NBA players and executives.
Number retirement has occurred in other sports, but in a more traditional fashion. In Major League Baseball (MLB), the first and only player whose number has been retired by the league has been Jackie Robinson. Robinson, the first baseball player to break the racial barriers, sported the Brooklyn Dodger's uniform #42, which was retired on April 15, 1997.
Three years later in 2000, the National Hockey League (NHL), paid homage to the great Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky's number, 99, became the only retired number by the NHL.
Could #23, in honor of Michael Jordan, be next? After the years of wearing the same number, why has LeBron James had a change of heart? Don't players make an identity for themselves by their jersey number? Let us know your thoughts and why you choose YOUR team number. http://bit.ly/iIvRO
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