The Number 23
Apparently LeBron reads TTKS.
The astounding logic and passion that has been presented on this blog in pushing for LeBron to find his own number and for others to follow suit has finally found some traction with the King.
I couldn't be more proud of that fact.
Pat Riley retired #23 for the Heat organization and LeBron is now advocating retiring it league-wide. Pretty hilarious how he did it, too, because you can tell how highly he thinks of himself.
I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've
got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23,
then nobody else should be able to wear it.
Very well presented. That wasn't how I suggested he say it, but at least he listened to the overall movement of retiring 23.
Be your own guy, Bron Bron.
Posts
16 comments:
What is interesting is looking at the ESPN polls regarding this issue. As of the time I voted 60% agree with LeBron that the league should retire #23. Not a huge surprise, but that does seem a bit high.
The one that shocked me was this question: Should the NBA replace Jerry West as the silhouette in the official NBA logo with Michael Jordan? 41% said Yes! I was pretty surprised by that. So does the NBA logo then become the jumpman logo? That was a shocker for me. I would expect that percentage to be much lower. But maybe I'm just not progressive enough.
Now wait, is Lebron saying it should be retired because MJ wore it, or because he wears it now?
LeBron is saying that if even HE, the King, is willing to condescend to perhaps not wear that number, when clearly only he could deign to do so after MJ, then surely no one else should be allowed to wear it.
I can't see the NBA putting Jordan as the logo. He's got his own iconic logo and that's a brand nike owns. So since they can't use the jumpman logo then they'd have to come up with some other Jordanesque logo? Not happening. They may remove West's image from the logo, but I would think they would completely de-personalize it at that point and have no specific player associated with it.
And to Chris and Adam's points, isn't it curious that he is now stealing Dr. J's number? I mean it's not like the #6 is widely considered sacred or that Dr. J is on the same level with MJ, but I did find it interesting that LeBron chose to hi-jack another star's number. Nobody had to know the real reason he is choosing 6. Just seems like another unoriginal move.
Lastly, the PTI guys made an interesting point about this number change: Dr. J changed his number when he left the Nets and went to the Sixers (from 32 to 6). Is this a foreshadowing up LeBron's future?
Kevin Hench from FOX Sports had a pretty good take here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/10364584/LeBron-shouldn't-play-the-numbers-game
I find it odd that some 56% of the 80,000 voters on the story's poll think this is just a nice gesture (other two choices were, in short: "This seems random" and "Isn't this sort of thing only for Jackie Robinson types?").
Hench thinks this foreshadows a move to Chicago, by the way.
Did any of you Lakers-haters' heads explode when a move to LA-LA land was theorized a couple of weeks back?
That FOX article is a good one. I've been wondering about the whole Dr. J was my second fave player schtick. Dude, you never saw him play. I mean, it's a stretch for me to say that I loved watching Magic and Bird. I was single-digit age and barely comprehended what I saw.
And he's right, Stern doesn't like ideas coming from his players and will likely squash this. That said, I think many of those wearing 23 will feel pressured to change once LBJ does. We shall see.
A move to Chicago? LeBron is nuts. That's kooky talk.
I think this is further evidence of LeBron's "trying too hard" syndrome (spare the pot calling the kettle black accusations as I'm a Lakers fan). He's such a man-child on the court we forget that he's still only 24. I'm eager to see how winning a championship someday affects his persona and his "-ness". I think the global icon schtick and all of its accompanying hoopla are a bit tired. Maybe he'll settle in a bit more if/when he wins.
Any doubt that he wins somewhere?
Brandon Jennings put up a cool 55 tonight. He's a tiny little guard, a scorer, a creator. Guess who his favorite player is?
Another tiny little guard who in his prime was quite the scorer, quite the creator:
Allen Iverson.
http://www.oakhillhoops.com/playerprofiles/2007_2008/brandon_jennings.html
Why is this relevant? He wears #3, just like Iverson.
Can't you believe this moronic clown? Get your own number, BJ. Be your own guy.
Doesn't this seem like a weird stance to take?
My real point? Big deal King James wanted to be 23 as a kid and he kept his number as he progressed through the leagues. Big deal he wants to pay homage to MJ and use #6 like he did on the Redeem Team. Who cares about this? Apparently MJ lovers who are afraid that by the end of King James career he'll be considered better than MJ? Or people who are pissed off that he would be so arrogant as to want to be THE global icon? Did you guys listen to MJ's speech? And we're going to nitpick King James because he has big dreams and drive?
I'm not even a King James fan (my man crush is on BRoy), but c'mon, someone's gotta defend him from the TTKS barage.
Given that MJ hadn't won anything at this point in his career either, we probably should hold judgment on the MJ/King James comparisons just yet.
First of all, MJ wore 9 on the olympic teams, not 6.
Secondly, LBJ brought the MJ comparisons upon himself and loves it. Don't kid yourself into thinking it's not ok to measure the manchild against his idol.
Thirdly, I don't have a problem with players paying tribute and with guys wanting to 'be like Mike'. I do too. But when you undertake the mission to be THE global icon and the best basketball player to ever live, you might as well choose a different number and be your own guy. LBJ has his own nike line and logo. He might as well be original with the number he chooses.
I was referring to King James being 6 in the Olympics, not MJ.
It's not like he shaved his head, wears his akron high shorts underneath his jersey, and wags his tongue. He has jordan's number. So because of his jersey number he's not his own guy? I don't see what the fuss is.
Can we return the conversation to why Obama sucks?
Ps if I choose a number because of a childhood worship (my fav is 8 bc of cal), then I wouldn't want to change it once I become a pro. Athletes are superstitious. They pay big bucks to be able to keep their number if they are traded to a team with a player who already has their number.
I think giving up his number that he's worn forever is an extremely classy move, one a global icon would do, and one I doubt Jordan would do.
Just kidding on that last sentence, just wanted to get Benson going a little bit.
Out of one side of your mouth you say sarcastically, 'big deal, he wants 23,' and out of the other side you say in all seriousness, 'numbers are a big deal. athletes are superstitious about them.'
We all know there is something different about a basketball player wanting to wear 23 as opposed to any other number. It's an undeniable fact. And while I get the reason that as a kid and prep player he wore 23, and that he continued to do so as a young pro, it is apparent that he is coming around to the idea that it's probably not such a great idea to wear 23. You bring a host of comparisons upon yourself. You ask for an immense amount of pressure to be placed on yourself. Precisecly because there is something different about that number 23 than there is with any other number in hoops. That said, despite our opinions on the classyness of his move or the manner in which he announced it, we still have the right to question his next number choice. Because, as you said, numbers are a big deal.
Actually, Benson, what I'm saying is: the choice of jersey numbers are important to professional athletes, and should NOT be important to us non-professional athletes (outside of the whole, 'doggone, I have to buy a new jersey' issue that Kobe gave a good number of Laker fans a couple of years ago). So if you consider trying to present two different perspectives as talking out of both sides of my mouth, then yes, I guess it was.
I certainly am not trying to take away your right to question the choice of King James' next number (Obama will take care of that soon enough) - I am just giving my opinion that it's amusing to me to see that right being exercised so passionately.
I think you don't like King James, especially as he threatens MJ's throne of Best All Time, and you are subsequently nitpicking a little too much.
But, you say, you reserve the right to critique his number choice. So let's go there.
So now he needs to choose a number. Should he choose #6, which, given he chose it for the Olympics (King James, NOT MJ), means he already put some thought in his 2nd choice of numbers - Dr. J. If he doesn't choose 6, the reason would be to presumably show respect to Dr. J. Then what? Along those lines, he shouldn't choose 1 (show respect to Big O), 7 (Pistol Pete), 11 (Isiah), 13 (Wilt)... you get the idea. It's not like Dr. J was the 2nd best player ever, but if he takes 6 because he liked Dr. J, is he still not being his own player?
Does trying to be a global icon require having a number not worn by the 50 greatest? by anyone in the HOF?
It appears to at least require the approval of some the TTKS authors.
So, in addition to pointing out this "problem", are there any suggestions out there?
How about 74? that's a good, random number that I don't think has been used by anyone of signficance. Would that jersey number choice be cool with all the people it shouldn't matter to at the cost of being a meaningless number to the person it should matter to?
I see your 'it's amusing' and raise you 'it's laughable' that you don't think it's ok for TTKS to passionately debate a sports topic such as jersey numbers.
Since you profess to be a sports fan (having man crushes on players and such) then you must know that much of sports is fans and media members debating every possible aspect of sports, including a major differentiator of players: their jersey number.
Instead of bringing passion you bring sarcasm. And that's your right.
But how 'bout some logic too? LBJ could choose 2, 3, 4, 5, or 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17... you get the idea. There are plenty of numbers available that an all-time great doesn't already have an immortal association to. We needn't surpass the number 20, let alone get to 74, before there are enough numbers to field a whole squad of global icons seeking to be the best there ever was.
For the record, I don't hate LBJ. Just sports-hate him. It's fun.
He's changing to 6 because that is the number of titles Jordan has on him.
good point, i did mean sports-hate when i said 'didn't like' - i guess that was always assumed until sportsguy's column?
i think it's okay for you to debate it, heck, i obviously think it's okay to debate the debate itself!
2, or any of those other numbers, would be as meaningless to lebron (i'm assuming) as 74. why shouldn't he choose a number that means something instead of starting anew with a random number that carries no meaning to him?
so let's wrap this up: "cool to be #6?" - agree to disagree
btw, started book of basketball, enjoyable read so far.
ps "profess to be a sports fan"? cheap shot. bring your game back to sporcle and i'll profess you seven days a week and twice on Sunday (again) :P
Post a Comment