Why Can’t Ben Simmons Wear Number 25 at Brooklyn Nets? Which Jersey Will He Wear?

At the trade deadline, Ben Simmons was traded to the Nets in a deal that also sent James Harden to Philadelphia. After requesting a trade away from the Sixers in the summer, the 6-foot-10 Australian hasn’t played this season. When the transaction was made, one of the talking points was which number Simmons would take up in Brooklyn because his 25 was not available.

There will be a noticeable difference when Ben Simmons makes his debut for the Brooklyn Nets. Aside from the significant color change from the Philadelphia 76ers‘ red, white, and blue to the Nets’ minimalist black and white, he’ll also be wearing a different number.

Ben Simmons
Jun 20, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons warms up before game seven of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Simmons, who previously wore Nos. 22 and 20 at Florida’s Montverde Academy, is no stranger to changing uniform numbers. He put on more recognizable numbers during his one season at LSU in 2015–16.

Why can’t Ben Simmons wear the number 25?

Aside from the fact that it’s a fresh start for Ben Simmons, there’s another reason he’s transferring. For the Brooklyn Nets, just two players wore the number 25. However, the team’s number never appeared in an NBA game. Tony Jackson, a Brooklyn native who was a two-time All-American at St. John’s in the early 1960s, was the inaugural No. 25.

Bill Melchionni, a former 76ers player, was signed by the renamed New York Nets in 1969. Melchionni, the first in a long line of All-Star point guards for the Nets, spent seven seasons with the team. In the early 1970s, Bill Melchionni was a member of the New York Nets. He was a three-time all-star and two-time ABA champion during his tenure there. He was also wearing the number 25.

Which number jersey will Simmons wear at the Nets?

While Ben Simmons is unlikely to make his NBA debut until after the All-Star break, the franchise announced on Feb. 11 that he will wear No. 10 when he does. For the Brooklyn Nets franchise, Simmons enters a not-so-exclusive club. He’ll be the team’s 31st player to wear the No. 10 jersey, the most of any number of franchise history.

He’s no longer Ben 25, a Philly native. But now he’s Ben 10. Simmons’ jersey number has been changed from 25 to 10.