His highlight reel is unparalleled. Join our linker program. Some may call this heresy. Is this where to acknowledge Kobe? Matthews had a lengthy career, playing from the time he was 22 until he was 40. Hasek won six Vezinas, but on top of that he won the Hart twice. 84, but both also wore other numbers. Why hes here: One of the greatest pichers ever, Maddux won four straight Cy Youngs and was elected to the Hall of Fame in a landslide on his first try. Still, Peyton is one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks. Orr scored 100 points in a season six times, before his knees failed him too young. He also happened to make 14 Pro Bowls, which got him into the Hall. The lanky right-hander won the AL Cy Young three times and finished in the top five of the voting five other times in his 19-year career. Honorable mentions: Juan Guzman, Gerry Staley. Why hes here: Raines, one of the greatest leadoff batters in baseball history (career .385 OBP hitting first in the lineup), stole 808 bases in his career. Not a lot of great choices here, but Stieb was a solid player. He played for all four of the Steelers Super Bowl-winning squads in the 70s, and he was once named the Defensive Player of the Year on a team with names like Joe Greene and Jack Lambert. The Best Athletes Who Wore #20 - Ranker But when he joined the Giants, that number had obviously been retired in honor of Mays, so Bonds chose the number 25 his father wore while Mays teammate. Why he's here: Five Cy Youngs, 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts.The Big Unit is the obvious choice. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? We dont worship the rings, but we do admire true dominance. Martinez had a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Return to Top; Players. The Best Athletes To Wear Number 2, Ranked By Fans Kevin Garnett wore No. As a hitter, though, he was excellent. We do want to shout out Chad Johnson, in part because he changed his named to Chad Ochocinco in honor of his number. More about data coverage Number Year Or go to a franchise's uniform history: Choose a Team Uniform Numbers Share & Export Modify, Export & Share Table 00 Jim Otto to No. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. Lemieuxs 66 is one of the iconic numbers in NHL history. He became the youngest person ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. Also sorry to NASCAR fans who know that Jeff Gordon drove the 24 car during his sterling career. No NBA player has ever wore No. 90. Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Honorable mentions: Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Jim Rice. So instead, were going with Theodore, who wore an odd number for a goalie. However, Faulk was one of the best receiving backs ever. Honorable mentions: Bob Howry, Joba Chamberlain. Honorable mentions: Mel Ott, Paul Molitor, Duke Snider. The 30+ Top Athletes To Wear Jersey Number 1, Ranked By Fans COLLECTION What's Your Number? 1. All rights reserved. With his incredible length, Hendricks blocked 25 field goals in his career. Jones, NBA, Wade Boggs, MLB; Rod Woodson, NFL;Herb Adderley, NFL; Billy Williams, MLB, Juan Marichal, MLB; Eddie George, NFL; Vladimir Guerrero, MLB; ScottNiedermayer, NHL; Mike Trout, MLB, Marshall Faulk, NFL; Bert Blyleven, MLB; Darrell Green, NFL, Eric Dickerson, NFL; Satchel Paige, MLB; Rod Carew, MLB; John Smoltz, MLB; Ken Dryden, NHL, Nolan Ryan, MLB; Martin Brodeur, NHL; Terrell Davis, NFL; Stephen Curry, NBA; Maury Wills, MLB; Bernard King, NBA, Greg Maddux, MLB; Reggie Miller, NBA; Fergie Jenkins, MLB; Dave Winfield, MLB; Billy Smith, NHL; Mike Piazza, MLB; Donnie Shell, NFL, Magic Johnson, NBA; Jim Brown, NFL; O.J. One day, though, Cruyff decided to wear 14 and then tried to wear it whenever he could. He was a cultural icon, a one-man metaphor for excellence in any field. 52: Brazile, Robert Brazile, Lewis, Ray Lewis, Gatski, Frank Gatski, Webster, Mike Webster 53: Carson, Harry Carson, Ford, Len Ford, Tingelhoff, Mick Tingelhoff, Webster, Mike Webster, Wojciechowicz, Alex Wojciechowicz 54: Ringo, Jim Ringo, Urlacher, Brian Urlacher, White, Randy White Too early? The NFL was weird then. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 7 in promotional photos. The Black Pearl earned that distinction by dominating South American soccer with a parade of spectacular goals -- he had a record 1,281 in his career -- and by leading Brazil to World Cup victories in 1958, '62 and '70. Orlando Magic ( 20, 21) Greg Anthony. Westbrook has an MVP and averaged a triple-double for three seasons straight. However, we have to go with the man known as The Captain in Detroit. From 00 to 99: Picking the top pro athletes to wear each uniform number But he didnt wear that number anywhere else. If 18 was an obvious choice, 19 was a brutal one. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. He wore No. A total of 25 players choose 22 as . Why he's here: No one else in MLB history has worn No. He deservedly is in his sports Hall of Fame, unlike another guy who wore 47, Jack Morris. Honorable mentions: Jim Thome, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire. He twice led the NFL in sacks, including a 22-sack season that almost broke the record. Robinson is even better than the last player to wear his number, Mariano Rivera. That game was an aberration for Larsen, who otherwise had a middling career, but it was right on track for Berra, who was on the receiving end of 173 shutouts. Not that this was super easy. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. Injuries caught up to Santana and will keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but at his peak he was incredible. The Yankee Clipper has the numbers and the accolades: three MVPs, .325 average, nine World Series rings. Were no fan of Schilling as a person, but this is about his skill on the mound. Years active: 1995-2014 Mathis got overshadowed by Dwight Freeney, but he was a great pass rusher in his own right. Why he's here: An excellent starter, Eckersley became an elite reliever with the A's in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Allen Iverson was a dynamic NBA player. He also ended his time in the NFL with a ring with the Steelers, though by that point he was no longer a Pro Bowl-caliber back. Derek Jeters #2 jerseys are still being sold to MLB fans years after his retirement,which shows just how much a number can mean to a player and how much a number can become synonymous with a player. He then turned to 77, though, and wore it for well over a decade, including when he won four Norris Trophies. In the middle of his career he lost a few seasons to injury, but that hasnt stopped him from putting up incredible numbers. Had Wade Boggs worn No. 85 with a 0.45 WAR is good enough to beat out Che-Hsuan Lin. Why he's here: The middle reliever is the only player in history to post a postive WAR while wearing No. Always free! The Sultan of Swat mashed 714 home runs in a time when hitting 20 in a season was impressive. Still, Kuechenberg made six Pro Bowls as a guard for the Dolphins, including on the legendary undefeated Miami squad. He won the 1977 AL MVP when he batted .388 with 16 triples, 14 homers, 100 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 128 runs scored for the Twins. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey might be the most famous NFL athlete wearing No. We all know Aaron was the lon-time home run king, and still ranks second. 9 to Maya Moore at No. Here are seven amazing athletes besides LeBron James to wear that number. His slugging percentage: .634, second best. He already has three MVPs and should have even more than that. No. 32. Like Murphy, hes in his sports Hall, but he did it all in 55. Another 87 with injury issues, Rob Gronkowski, deserves a mention, and not just because he has a WWE title to his name now. Be it with Oklahoma City or Golden State, or even his one year in Seattle, Durant has worn No. Baseball history is marked by iconic numbers. And yet, impressive as they are, numbers don't begin to measure his baseball instincts, his charisma or his grace on his sport's biggest stages. Montana wore 19 when he moved from San Francisco to Kansas City, but he spent only two years with the Chiefs. Reggie Miller also did some great things in this number. Honorable mentions: Vladimir Guerrero, Scott Rolen, Kevin Brown, Why hes here: Blyleven made his big-league debut in 1970, a couple months after his 19th birthday, and made his last pitch in the majors at 41 years old. And what other big-shot athletes have donned the numeral.". He won five MVPs wearing No. 47. The long-time reliever is the best of a mediocre bunch. However, 30 is a goalies number, and we wanted to give the honor to one of the best goalies to ever man the crease. Why hes here: The Big Hurtwas one of the top right-handed hitters in history, leading the league in OPS four times and slugging 35 or more homer eight times. Damon wore No. That was only one season out of his Hall-of-Fame career, of course. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Foyt, Racing; Ernie Banks, MLB; Y.A. Do you have a sports website? Why he's here: After just two seasons, the Cuban slugger has established himself as by far the best player at this number. Which got us thinking about the greatest athletes -- across all sports -- who wore each number, from 00 to 99. Dan Donovan/MLB Photos via Getty Images; Ed Reinke/AP. 13 and, as legend has it, playfully posed with black cats before the 1951 playoffs began. Why hes here: Because it's the Internet, and the Internet loves Bartolo. The best player in WNBA history at every jersey number - ESPN A few excellent pass rushers wore 92, including Michael Strahan, who has the NFL record for most sacks in a season. Goose Gossage had a fine career in baseball, but as a relief pitcher, and well go with a starting linebacker over a reliever any day of the week. 1 So with all due respect to hockeys Terry Sawchuk, were going with the Italian soccer legend Buffon, who is arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever, depending on how you feel about Lev Yashin, who played in a different era of the sport. In his 22-year career, the right-hander with a devastating curveball won 289 games, struck out 3,701 (that total is still fifth all-time) and pitched nearly 5,000 innings in the majors (4,970, to be exact). (Take that, Babe Ruth.) While Johnson had a couple of seasons wearing other numbers, the Big Unit was the clear choice here. Blyleven had to wait a long time after he retired, but he was eventually elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011. He captured the nations attention with his prodigious power three years after Wally Pipp led the AL with nine home runs, for example, Ruth swatted 54 for the Yankees in 1920 and engaging personality. Most iconic NBA numbers: #34 - Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon | NBA News | Sky Sports Access NBA ID benefits League Leaders Team Stats Teams Players Live on Sky Most iconic. He was an unstoppable force. Why he's here: Fielder has worn No. Athletes Who Wore #33 Athletes Who Wore #23 Athletes Who Wore #7 Athletes Who Wore #69 Athletes Who Wore #42 Athletes Who Wore #4 Athletes Who Wore #22 This was a tough one. Witten will never make the football announcing Hall of Fame, but hes on his way to the NFL Hall when he finally retires. George Constanza thought Seven was a great name for a kid because of Mantle. It has been a popular jersey number for decades with success of athletes across the board. Honorable mentions: Vada Pinson, Cesar Cedeno, Pedro Guerrero. While we briefly thought about Brett Favre, this really came down to Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig. Nowitzki changed the NBA. The Wizard owned the web gem before the term existed, but beyond his lengthy highlight reel the longtime Cardinal was remarkably consistent, setting records for assists and double plays by a shortstop. For a stretch, Hutchinson was probably the best guard in the league. Why he's here: Only three players have ever worn No. Not too bad for a guy who wasnt even drafted out of college. The Neon legend was born in Tallahassee, where Sanders was a two-time consensus All-America, and a Jim Thorpe . He carried the Milwaukee Bucks to their only NBA title before joining the Lakers. Mantles Yankees played in the World Series 12 times they won seven of those and The Mick hit 18 homers in 65 games, a record that will never be broken. Orr is the choice at number 4, for far more than the Stanley Cup-winning goal he scored for the Bruins in 1970. Now that we are in the 80s, the decisions get a little bit trickier although, this was still an obvious choice. Sandberg made 10 consecutive All-Star teams from 1984-93 and was named the 1984 NL MVP as he helped the Cubs make the playoffs that season for the first time since 1945. 1 among numbers 1. The Hall of Famer was an easy choice. By geowiz85. The Swede was the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, routinely racking up over 60 points. This was pretty much an impossible choice, guaranteed to please exactly nobody. Why hes here: The Cobra was a legitimate star in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning an MVP, two batting titles and three Gold Gloves. And is No. Vote up your favorite athletes to wear the number 2, then head over and check out some other iconic jersey numbers, including thebest players to wear No. Ward is also famous for his vicious blocks, which isnt something every receiver is known to want to do. When all is said and done, we might recognize Trout as the best player in MLB history. This is a stacked number, but its still such an easy choice to go with Mays, who is in the conversation about the greatest players in the history of the sport. Eighty-eight years ago this week, the New York Yankees became the first professional sports team to permanently wear numbers on their uniforms. Once he won 10 races in a row. Mantle still wins. He also wore it when he won four-straight Cy Youngs. League: MLB We feel comfortable saying Gonzalez is the best tight end ever. Why he's here: The Hall of Famer is easily the best of an otherwise unimpressive bunch. Think we left someone off? Why hes here: The first-ballot Hall of Famer was just the third player in MLB history to register 3,000 hits and 500 homers. Of course, Jagr ended up playing for a bunch of teams in his career as he held on to add to his incredible goal total. Pete Maravich wore 44. He finished with a 2.86 regular-season ERA, and in 17 games (15 starts) in the postseason, he posted a 2.61 ERA and helped the Orioles to three World Series titles (the only three in franchise history, it should be noted). Though he often battled injuries, Larkin was an All-Star 12 times, won the 1995 NL MVP and hit .338 in his 17 career postseason games for Cincinnati. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Thirteen may be an unlucky number to some but not to a few all-time greats. Outside of his rookie campaign, Mays wore 24 his entire career. Heres how incredible Fedorovs all-around game was. Bonds didnt wear 25 until he joined the Giants. But lets shout out two other quarterbacks who wore 12: Terry Bradshaw and Joe Namath. Why he's here: Not much to choose from. Richard Petty passed the torch of the best driver in NASCAR to Dale Earnhardt. Playing tight end, he twice led the NFL in receptions and made five Pro Bowls. He has more sacks, for example, with 137.5. If you are of a certain age, you probably remember Upshaw primarily as an executive with the NFLPA. After his rookie season, when he had only eight sacks, Ware never failed to have double-digit sacks in a season in which he played at least 14 games. Why hes here: The Hall of Famer won the Cy Young in both leagues, registered 314 wins and struck out 3,534 batters. Nash was not just a first overall pick, but the first pick in Columbus Blue Jackets history. How can you argue with the guy known as Mr. Honorable mentions: Steve Carlton, Roy Halladay. Follow. Why he's here: The 1978 AL Cy Young winner led the AL in wins twice and ERA twice and had his number retired by the Yankees. Ripken is best-known for his Iron Man streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (Lou Gehrig previously held the record at 2,130) but he also made the All-Star team 19 times and won the 1991 AL MVP, too. Find out more. Best all-time MLB players at each jersey number, 1-99 Why he's here: A first-ballot Hall of Famer with two Cy Youngs and more than 300 wins, Glavine laps the field at No. Why he's here: A few years ago, he looked like a budding superstar. He made seven straight Pro Bowls in the 2000s and was named to the All-Decade team by the Hall of Fame as well. In this sport, though, stats arent the only numbers that matter. 99, because it was a source of derision to don the number that Gretzky had made iconic. Michael Jordan. NBA fans have representation, as well, with Joe Dumars, Charles Barkley, and Chris Webber among the famous players to wear the number. Honorable mentions: Rick Reuschel, Sam McDowell. There have been many outstanding athletes to dawn the number 23. Well, he could have been the first overall pick, and he still would have had a stellar career. This was a battle between two running backs, namely Faulk and Adrian Peterson. 70, but he wore it when he made six straight Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams, all for the Cowboys. 91 for his entire seven-year career. The seven-footer teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McKale in the iconic frontcourt that led the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s. 11-99, and why, grab a copy at your nearest book store or go to SI.com/anygivennumber. There is great, and then there is Joe DiMaggio. More than 48,000 runners took on the race from Greenwich to The Mall - up . Hes won two Art Ross Trophies and one Hart already. Why he's here: Remember Mannywood? Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. Why he's here: No one else at No. In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. Honorable mentions: Fergie Jenkins, Dave Winfield, Mike Piazza. Even though he didnt start his career until he was 24, after fulfilling his naval duties, he put together a Hall of Fame career. 6, so it all balances out. Ranking the greatest athletes from every sport to ever don those magic jersey numbers.