Therefore, today’s topic is some of the most well-known sports jersey numbers and the legendary athletes who wore them. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the athletes’ most well-known jersey numbers.
13 Is The Most Popular Sports Number
The list was put together with the aid of numerous online resources, like Yardbarker, BleacherReport, etc. However, let’s have a look at the list below before getting into the specifics.
| Athlete | Number |
| 13. Wilt Chamberlain | 13 |
| 12. Derek Jeter | 2 |
| 11. Bill Russell | 6 |
| 10. Cristiano Ronaldo | 7 |
| 9. Magic Johson | 32 |
| 8. Cal Ripken Jr. | 8 |
| 7. Richard Petty | 43 |
| 6. Brett Favre | 4 |
| 5. Wayne Gretzky | 99 |
| 4. Peyton Manning | 18 |
| 3. Babe Ruth | 3 |
| 2. Jackie Robinson | 42 |
| 1. Michael Jordan | 23 |
13. Wilt Chamberlain
Let’s begin our list of the most well-liked sports numbers with 13. Although many people believe that the number 13 is unlucky, Wilt Chamberlain could not have a fortunate number.
The greatest player in history is thought to be Chamberlain. He wore jersey number 13 the entire time he was a player.
Playing for groups like the Harlem Globetrotters, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers over his career. In his career, he racked up some of the most outstanding victories and honors.
All four of his franchises retired his number 13 following his professional career. Chamberlain received induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
12. Derek Jeter
The most well-known sports number is represented on our number 12 by former professional baseball star Derek Jeter and his number 2 jersey. He played for the New York Yankees for the entirety of his 20-year MLB career.
When he was younger, Jeter preferred to wear the number 13, but after making his MLB debut in 1995, he began playing with the number 2.
He is frequently credited with being one of the key factors in the Yankees’ dominance of the league in the late 1990s and early 2000s. For his great play, he received the moniker “Mr. November” and “Captain Clutch.”
One of the greatest athletes to ever don the number 2 jersey is Jeter. Jeter ended his professional baseball career after the 2014 campaign.
His number 2 jersey was likewise retired by the New York Yankees later that year. Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
11. Bill Russell
Basketball player Bill Russell had a professional career that lasted from 1956 until 1969. The athlete wore number 3 during his entire career while playing for the Boston Celtics.
In addition to participating in the NBA, he led the American basketball team to the 1956 Summer Olympics gold medal. In 1975. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame accepted Russell.
While playing for the Miami Heat, LeBron James also sported the number 6 jersey for a few seasons. But Russell stuck with the jersey number throughout his playing career.
As a result, NBA fans think of Bill Russell when they see the number 6. Both the San Francisco Don and the Boston Celtics retired his number.
10. Cristiano Ronaldo
There is no need to introduce Cristiano Ronaldo. Since he is recognized as one of the best players of all time, his reputation precedes him.
In soccer, Ronaldo has come to be associated with the number 7. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is known by the moniker “C7.”
One of the few players with more than 1,100 appearances in a professional career is Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition to the honors, he currently maintains some of the best records in soccer history.
David Beckham, another of soccer’s greatest players, also wore the number 7. While playing for United, Beckham wore the number, but after joining Real Madrid, he switched to the number 23.
One of the most recognizable soccer players right now is Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also among the most well-known and well-paid athletes in the world. The Portuguese footballer will always be associated with the number 7.
9. Magic Johnson
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., a former NBA player, is ranked as the ninth most popular sport. He is regarded as the greatest point guard of all time and is well known for wearing the number 32 in his uniform.
Johnson played basketball in the NBA and was a member of the 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team, which took home the gold medal. He was twice recognized by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a result.
He played with number 32 during his NBA career. His career highlights include twelve NBA All-Star appearances, three NBA Most Valuable Player awards, nine All-NBA First Team selections, five NBA titles, etc.
Johnson, unfortunately, had to give up his career after getting HIV. The Lakers also retired the number 32 jersey in his honor when he left the NBA.
8. Cal Ripken
Cal Ripken Jr., a renowned baseball third baseman and shortstop known by the moniker “The Iron Man,” is our number 8 pick for the most well-liked sport.
He was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB Draft. Ripken made his major league debut in 1981 and played for the Orioles his whole career.
He is regarded as one of baseball’s top shortstops in history. He also holds MLB records for playing in 2,632 straight games and hitting the most home runs ever by a shortstop.
Throughout his entire career, he wore the number 8. After Ripken retired, the Orioles retired his number. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
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7. Richard Petty
The following athlete is better known for driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac than for his jersey number. He was a former stock car racer of the second generation known as “The King” Richard Petty.
Petty competed in racing in the previous NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series from 1958 through 1992. (now NASCAR Cup Series.) He was one of NASCAR’s first well-known drivers.
Petty is one of the most well-known and successful drivers in the history of motorsports. In a similar vein, he was the first driver to claim seven Cup Series titles.
He has competed in more than 2,000 NASCAR Cup Series races, 1,125 of which were while driving the No. 43.
Petty is the only one of the other drivers who drove No. 43 to win the race with it. He was admitted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s first class in 2010.
6. Brett Favre
Brett Favre is number 6 on our list of the most popular sports figures. The former quarterback participated in 20 NFL seasons.
In 1991, Favre made his NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcon. He was selected by the Falcon in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft, wearing the number 4.
He mainly played for the Green Bay Packers during his 20-year career. He also had stints with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets. All of Fave’s playing time was spent wearing the number 4 jersey.
His outstanding list of accolades and career-highlight victories is similar. In his final season, he led the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback victories.
Following Favre’s retirement, the Packers retired number 4. In 2016, he was admitted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
5. Wayne Gretzky
One of the most well-known numbers in hockey history is 99. Wayne Gretzky, a former Canadian ice hockey player, is associated with the number.
Gretzky spent 20 seasons as a player in the NHL before becoming a head coach. The player is known as “The Great One,” and is one of the greatest hockey players ever.
Throughout his career, Gretzky set a lot of records. He is the top goal, assist, and point scorer in NHL history. He owned an impressive 61 NHL records when he retired in 1999.
Wayne Gretzky’s uniform number 99 is so well-known that a trophy bearing its name, the “Wayne Gretzky 99 Award,” bears its name.
After retirement, he was instantly inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Great One’s number 99 was likewise retired by the league in 2000.
4. Peyton Manning
The legendary number 18 of retired football quarterback Peyton Manning is the fourth most well-known in all of the sports. He is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in history.
He played 18 seasons in the NFL under the moniker “The Sheriff.” In 1998, he made his NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts. He participated with the Denver Bronco from 2012 until 2015.
Manning wore the number 18 throughout his whole career. He also participated in Tennessee Volunteers football, where he wore the number 16 jersey. Manning won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos, capping out his career in the NFL. The Broncos honored his number while the Colts retired it in his honor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
3. Babe Ruth
Baseball’s most illustrious player is Babe Ruth. Every baseball fan in the world loves his number 3. He is regarded as the best baseball player to ever play the game.
Ruth, who was born on February 6, 1895, played for the Boston Red Sox in his MLB debut in 1914. He is considered one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is known by the moniker “The Sultan of Swat.”
Ruth also participated in professional baseball for the Boston Braves and New York Yankees. He spent the majority of his 22-year MLB career with the Yankees.
After Ruth retired, the Yankees retired his famous number 3. He was admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He died on August 16, 1948, at the age of 53.
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2. Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson, the first African American player, is number 42 on our list of the two most popular sports numbers. The athlete is a trailblazer who broke the color line in sports and is a renowned figure.
With the Brooklyn Dodger, Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut in 1947. His signing by the Dodgers signaled the end of racial segregation in baseball. Thus, in baseball history, his number 42 has enormous significance.
He played in MLB for eleven years total. Robinson achieved success as an All-Star, World Series champion, six-time NL MVP, etc. He was the first black athlete to win the distinction.
All MLB teams retired the number 42 after his retirement. It demonstrates that in baseball, the number 42 denotes a significant period. In 1962, the legend was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
At the age of 53, Jackie Robinson passed away on October 24, 1972.
1. Michael Jordan
We bet you anticipated this. The former NBA player Michael Jordan’s number 23, which is our most well-known sports number. He is revered as the best basketball player of all time and a national treasure.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Jordan was a key factor in the NBA’s global popularization. He played in the NBA for 15 seasons, beginning in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan eventually switched to number 42 even though he initially played with the number 23. However, he and his reputation came to be associated with the number 23.
After the 2003 season, Jordan, the NBA’s icon, announced his retirement. The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls both retired his number upon his retirement.
There is no doubting that the number 23 will always be the most recognizable in NBA history.
Conclusion
In sports, numbers have always had a metaphorical meaning. Sometimes, as a mark of respect for the players after they have ended their playing careers, their recognizable number is also retired.
No other players in that franchise in the future will be permitted to wear the retired number jersey. This demonstrates how significant and recognizable the players and sports stats are. I appreciate your reading.
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