Every NBA Team’s Greatest Player Who Does Not Have Their Jersey Retired

After a long career, some NBA players are fortunate enough to have their legacy live on even after retirement. For those players, they made significant contributions to the franchise that elevated the team to the top of the NBA during their tenure. To reward those players, the franchise will hang their jerseys in the rafters and retire their number.

Only a select few players get to receive this honor. Some players like Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and in the future, LeBron James, were guaranteed for their long stays with their respective franchises. For LeBron, it will be a matter of how many franchises will retire his jersey. With that said, it’s easy to point out the obvious. Some players get overlooked and lost in the cracks.

There are a substantial number of players that deserve to have their jersey retired, but they have not received the chance. Call it living in another person’s shadow, but some players were just as deserving. As the year stands 2022, 30 players need to have a jersey ceremony.

These are each team’s greatest player who doesn’t have their jersey retired.

Atlanta Hawks – Cliff Hagan

Hagan was a five-time All-Star with the St. Louis Hawks and was the equivalent of Scottie Pippen to Michael Jordan as he was to Bob Pettit. The Hawks didn’t win the 1958 championship without Hagan, which included seeing Hagan made All-NBA Second Team that season, an accomplishment he reached two times. Hagan finished his career with 18.0 points per game for his overall professional career, but his best years were with the Hawks.

Boston Celtics – Ray Allen

Now that Kevin Garnett has seen his jersey hung up in the rafters, it’s time to get Ray Allen’s ceremony next. There seemed to be a lot of critics believing that Allen never saw his jersey up because of the loyalty the franchise had to Garnett. Allen and Garnett were not on speaking terms for nearly 10 years, but Allen was at Garnett’s retirement ceremony and they shared an emotional embrace. Allen was the third piece of the big three of Paul Pierce and Garnett. Without the Hall of Famer, who knows if the Celtics make two NBA Finals and win the 2008 championships.

Brooklyn Nets – Richard Jefferson

The next realistic candidates for this could be Brook Lopez, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, but we are looking at former players. Jefferson played seven seasons for the Nets and was an integral part of the team making the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Jefferson was the second-best player to Jason Kidd during those runs. He ranks among the top in franchise history in points, rebounds, and assists.

Charlotte Hornets – Larry Johnson

Johnson played for the Hornets between 1991 and 1996. During that time, he made two All-Star teams, one All-NBA Second Team, and won Rookie of the Year. He was the first Hornets player to ever make the All-Star Game as well. Along with Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, and Dell Curry, the Hornets enjoyed some of their most success during the 90s. During this time, Johnson signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history, a 12-year, $84 million deal. All in all, Johnson remains the franchise leader in offensive rebounds and is second to Emeka Okafor in all-time rebounds.

Chicago Bulls – Dennis Rodman

It might have only been three seasons, but Rodman deserves some credit for the hustle he gave. The Bulls won three championships in all three seasons. Rodman led the league in rebounding in each season, made one All-Defensive Team, and was the physical enforcer the team desperately needed. Without Rodman, there is likely no second three-peat and the Bulls’ legacy would be talked about differently today.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Hot Rod Williams

Williams made the All-Rookie Team in his first season but never received too many other awards as he served as the team’s sixth man. His best season came in 1989 when he averaged 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. When he finished his career with Cleveland after nine seasons, he was the all-time leader in blocks before Zydrunas Ilgauskas passed him.

Dallas Mavericks – Mark Aguirre

His spats with head coaches might have hurt his chances, but if you look at the numbers, Mark Aguirre is deserving. He made three All-Star appearances and scored over 13,000 career points with the team. His 24.6 points per game was a record for the Mavericks, but Luka Doncic has currently taken over. What hurts Aguirre the most is that the team underachieved in the playoffs, which included one Conference Finals visit in 1988.

Denver Nuggets – Bobby Jones

Nuggets fans had to see Bobby Jones take off with the Philadelphia 76ers. With that said, when Jones played for the Nuggets in the ABA, he was an All-Star, All-ABA Second Team selection, and two-time All-ABA Defensive First Team member. When the Nuggets transitioned to the NBA, Jones followed Denver and made two NBA All-Star Games and two All-Defensive First Teams. Jones eventually saw his number retired by the 76ers for his contributions defensively, especially during the 1983 championship season. Jones was equally a great player with Denver.

Detroit Pistons – Grant Hill

Imagine a world where Grant Hill stays with the Pistons. How much greater is the Detroit Pistons dynasty in the 2000s? With that said, Hill was a pretty great player in Detroit in his own right despite not having any major playoff success. Hill was a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, which included four spots on the second team, and a Rookie of the Year. When you are looking at the best players to not have a jersey retired, Hill is the best in Detroit history.

Golden State Warriors – Paul Arizin

From 1950 to 1962, Arizin played all but one season with the Philadelphia Warriors. While playing for the team, Arizin made the All-Star team 10 times, won the All-Star Game MVP one time, was a three-time All-NBA First Team selection, and was a two-time scoring champion. He has made the 25th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary teams. He spent most of his career with the Warriors. Why does he not deserve his jersey up again?

Houston Rockets – Tracy McGrady

The Rockets were a different type of team with McGrady in the lineup. He made the All-NBA Team four times, which was the highlight of his tenure with Houston. Had injuries not hampered him later, he probably would own a few more records with the Rockets. Maybe, he would have led the team to the NBA Finals. Regardless, McGrady may never get this honor, but he is the best individual player to not ever see it happen.

Indiana Pacers – Rik Smits

From 1988 to 2000, Smits played his entire career with the Indiana Pacers. He made the All-Star team once During his time, he was regarded as the second-best player during the 90s with Reggie Miller. Some other candidates would be Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest.

Los Angeles Clippers – Bob McAdoo

McAdoo might have had a small stint with the Clippers, or Buffalo Braves back then, but he made the team relevant. From 1972-to 1976, McAdoo was one of the best players in the entire NBA when the Braves were not a successful franchise. He made the All-Star team three times, which also included two All-NBA teams, three scoring titles, and the MVP in 1975.

Los Angeles Lakers – George Mikan

Mikan played for the Lakers from 1947 to 1954, as well as one season in 1956. Mikan was a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBL champion, four-time All-Star, 6x All-NBA First Team selection, three-time scoring champion, and has made every single NBA Anniversary team. His No. 99 is honored by the Lakers, but not retired. That needs to be switched as soon as possible.

Memphis Grizzlies – Marc Gasol

We are nearly 10 years removed since the Grizzlies made the Western Conference Finals for the first time. Gasol was the Defensive Player of the Year that season. Gasol ranks second in points scored and is the all-time leading rebounder. The Grizzlies were a competitive team in the early 2010s because Gasol was a prominent part of that. Maybe, the team is waiting for Mike Conley Jr. to retire because then they can have it at the same time.

Miami Heat – Glen Rice

Rice played for the Heat from 1989 to 1995. During that time, he averaged 20 points per game three times. At this time, the Heat were in the younger phases of their expansion team tenure. Rice helped the team be competitive and was potentially the first real star the team had. The Heat is pretty good about retiring jerseys, such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tim Hardaway. If they wanted to look at some of their earlier players, Rice would be a candidate.

Milwaukee Bucks – Ray Allen

When we think of Ray Allen, we think of him as a sharpshooter with the SuperSonics, Celtics, and Heat. We often forget that he was a great player for the Milwaukee Bucks too. From 1996 to 2003, Allen made the All-Star team three times and won a Three-Point Shooting Contest the same year he made an All-NBA Team. When he left the Bucks, he owned the record for most three-point field goals by a large margin until Michael Redd and Khris Middleton broke it.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Kevin Garnett

How do the Celtics honor Kevin Garnett before the Timberwolves? Garnett is the greatest player ever in team history. He won the MVP Award in 2004 and led the team to their highest finish ever in the playoffs, which was the Conference Finals. The Timberwolves were a yearly playoff contender when he played. Since he left, the team has fallen apart completely for the last 18 years, owning just one playoff appearance. Again, it begs the question. Why hasn’t this been taken care of?

New Orleans Pelicans – David West

The Pelicans have only one retired jersey in team history and that is Pete Maravich. One day, Chris Paul and Anthony Davis could see their names, but based on their messy exits, that is even up for a debate. The one player that played solid in his career and ended on applicable terms was David West, who was once the team’s all-time leading rebounder.

New York Knicks – Charles Oakley

There are probably some New York fans reading this right now standing up out of their seats screaming in agreement. Oakley is a fan favorite and was one of the best defensive bigs to play for the team. Oakley made the All-Star team once in 1994 and made two All-Defensive teams as well. While his numbers and awards aren’t eye-popping, he was a physical enforcer that did the dirty work from 1988 to 1998.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Gary Payton

Same question in regards to Kevin Garnett, but with Gary Payton and the OKC Thunder. Payton was the best defensive guard of his era, including winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. The team made the NBA Finals that same season. The Thunder/SuperSonics have Nick Collison, Nate McMillan, and Spencer Haywood’s jersey hanging. How is potentially the best overall player outside of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook not up there too? The answer is that Payton has rejected the idea because he wants his jersey to be associated with Seattle and not OKC.

Orlando Magic – Shaquille O’Neal

O’Neal made the All-Star team in every season from 1993 to 1996. He also led the team to the NBA Finals in 1995, which is just one of two appearances ever in franchise history. Naturally, he has his number retired by the Lakers and Heat, where he won four championships. Had he won a fifth with Orlando, this would be a no-brainer. With that said, Orlando has never won a championship and O’Neal has played a hand in getting a team in the mix.

Philadelphia 76ers – Larry Costello

From 1957 to 1968, Costello played his entire career with the 76ers outside of one season. He played when the team was based in Syracuse and then helped the team win a championship in 1967. Costello was a six-time All-Star and led the league in free-throw shooting two times. Out of all the players in the mix for Philly, you could make a good case that Costello was snubbed.

Phoenix Suns – Shawn Marion

From 1999 to 2008, Marion was either the best player or the second-best player on the Suns. When Steve Nash joined the team, the two, along with Amar’e Stoudemire, made the Suns a title contender. Marion was a four-time All-STar and made the All-NBA Third two times. He needed just one more season to overtake the franchise lead on all-time steals, but came up 45 steals short.

Portland Trail Blazers – Rasheed Wallace

Before Wallace became a prime enforcer for the Detroit Pistons, he spent eight seasons with the Trail Blazers from 1996 to 2004. Wallace was a midseason acquisition during the 2004 championship season for his reputation as a physical player. He made two All-Star appearances with Portland and was a prominent piece of the 1999 and 2000 Conference Finals teams.

Sacramento Kings – Jerry Lucas

From 1963 to 1969, Lucas was the best compliment to Oscar Robertson but was also one of the best bigs in the league. During this time with the Cincinnati Royals, Lucas made the All-Star team six times, won an All-Star Game MVP, made the All-NBA First Team three times, and the Second Team twice. He has been named to the 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Had Bill Russell not been in the way, Lucas might have won a championship during the 60s. Lucas remains the second-best all-time rebounder. This is no slouch the team would be retiring, so it should be taken into consideration.

San Antonio Spurs – Larry Kenon

Kenon played for the Spurs from 1975 to 1980 and played his best years alongside Geroge Gervin. In each of his four seasons after the merger, he averaged at least 20 points per game. Kenon averaged a stretch of 21.9, 20.6, 22.1, and 20.1 points per game. He also averaged at least 10 rebounds per game as well. The Spurs are another franchise that has taken care of their legacy players like David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Gervin all have retired jerseys.

Toronto Raptors – Chris Bosh

Bosh made the All-Star team five times out of his seven seasons. He also remains the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder. That included one All-NBA team in 2007 as well. There might be some hurt feelings as Bosh left the Raptors to chase titles in Miami, where he won two championships. With that said, Bosh is one of the best Raptors players on individual status.

Utah Jazz – Andrei Kirilenko

The Jazz has taken care of their legacy players like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Mark Eaton, Adrian Dantley, and Pete Maravich all have deserved the honor. One could make a case for Deron Williams or Carlos Boozer, but there isn’t a lot there. Andrei Kirilenko may not have the postseason success or the individual awards, but he was a consistent player for the Jazz for many years. Had Eaton not recorded over 3,000 blocks, which is an asinine number, Kirlkeno would have that record for the Jazz.

Washington Wizards – Gilbert Arenas

The way that Arenas exited the league was unfortunate, but don’t let it distract you from what he did with the Wizards from 2003 to 2010. Arenas were the first true scorer the team had in decades. Arenas had a three-year stretch where he averaged 25.5, 29.3, and 28.4 points per game. While John Wall and Bradley Beal are more likely to have this honor in the future, Arenas is the best inactive player in this discussion. 

Credit for the idea: Slam Studios

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