Top NBA players who have worn the legendary No.6 jersey ft Bill Russell, LeBron James and more

In memory of Bill Russell, a renowned NBA champion and a leader in the civil rights movement who passed away on July 31 at the age of 88, the NBA has announced the retirement of the No. 6 jersey for all players in the league. Since the legend’s final season, 1968–1969, no one has donned No. 6 for the Boston Celtics, the team Russell played for his whole career as well as coached. In 1972, the Boston Celtics retired Russell’s No. 6.

The most significant query prompted by the league’s decision is what will happen to players who now wear the No. 6 shirt and if they will be required to switch numbers. The number also occurred to be worn by a very well-known player, which piqued interest across the league on two fronts.

Fortunately, LeBron James won’t need to alter his jersey number as he switched from No. 23 to No. 6 before the start of the 2021–22 season. The same holds true for the other 19 players, including Kristaps Porzingis, Alex Caruso, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Quentin Grimes, who are all in possession of the number.

Here is the list of top NBA players who wore Jersey no. 6 in their career:

Jamal Crawford

Even though Jamal Crawford only wore the number six for one year, in 2009, his professional journey has been nothing short of inspiring. It is impossible to overstate the magic of what Crawford has accomplished in the world of basketball, whether it be on the court, in Pro-Am, or in the NBA. The NBA gets streetball thanks to Crawford. He has had a significant effect on the game despite not frequently being a starter.

Image Credits – CAKnowledge

Crawford has won the sixth man of the year honors three times. In the course of his NBA career, eight different teams have benefited from his ability to generate offense. Due to his background, he is a renowned player in the league. He has averaged 14.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over the course of his career. 

LeBron James

LeBron James made the decision to change jersey numbers while playing for the Miami Heat. He switched to using the number 6. the same as Julius Erving, who is one of his heroes. James dominated in his brand-new outfit, which he wore the entire time he was in Miami. He received back-to-back MVP honors while playing for the Miami Heat.

Image Credits – Marca

He averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while carrying the number six. While competing for the USA team, he also wore that jersey number. During his time playing basketball for the USA, he captured two Olympic gold medals. James left a significant legacy while wearing the number 6. In order for Anthony Davis to wear the number 23 in a previous season, he once again wore the number six for the Los Angeles Lakers. He recently switched his jersey no, in the season 2020-21 for the Lakers. 

Julius Erving

Julius Erving was the finest basketball player to ever carry the number 6. Erving was a legend in every league he played in, including the NBA, the ABA, and the blacktop. Every year in the NBA and ABA, he was selected for the All-Star game. Additionally, he brought the Philadelphia 76ers their final title. Today’s athletes always take care to acknowledge him with respect. Today, Erving inspires a large number of basketball players. In 2002, the NBA All-Star game was played in Philadelphia in Allen Iverson’s honor, and he wore the number 6.

Image Credits – BR

Bill Russell

Bill Russell, arguably the greatest winner in sports history, amassed 11 titles throughout the course of his brilliant 13-year career. Throughout his career, the Boston Celtics won an NBA-record eight straight championships, and in his final two seasons as a player-coach, they won back-to-back championships.

Russell is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the NBA and as the best big-man defender ever. His size and quickness let him deflect several opposition shots, which benefited the Celtics’ famed fastbreak.

Walter Davis

With the fifth overall choice in the 1977 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns chose Walter Davis, who later won the Rookie of the Year award. Unusually, he averaged 24.2 points per game in his debut season, which was the greatest scoring season of his career. He was so outstanding that season that he earned a berth on the Second Team All-NBA, which is an exceptional accomplishment for a rookie. With 15,666 points in his career, he became the franchise’s leading scorer, and the Suns retired his No. 6 jersey.

Image Credits – BR

Ben Wallace

Prior to his NBA retirement in 2011–12, Ben Wallace played for the Detroit Pistons for a second time while wearing No. 6. Even though he was towards the end of his career at this point, Pistons supporters held him in high regard for his leadership on one of the greatest defensive basketball teams in history.

The 2000-01 to 2005-06 Pistons teams who went to the NBA Finals thrice and won a title in 2004 had a 6-foot-9 center who was a defensive saviour.

 

 

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