Been meaning to post something like this since I went to my first game in Cleveland (2 xmas's ago) and saw these jerseys hanging from the rafters. 7 - Bingo Smith; 22 - Larry Nance; 25 - Mark Price; 34 - Austin Carr; 42 - Nate Thurmond; 43 - Brad Daugherty I mean, come on! You haven't even been in the Finals and you have more retired numbers than the Rockets (who are all HOFs or named Rudy T). Mark Price? Austin Carr? wtf? btw: for those playing along at home, here's the official list of all nba jerseys' http://www.nba.com/history/retired_numbers.html Some are probably ABA/NBA combo players. <b>My Vote</b> Mark Eaton haha
I'm not sure about Larry Nance's stats, but Mark Price and Brad Daugherty were pretty damn good players for that franchise before succumbing to injuries. Remember, this team was on the brink of the Finals a few times only to run into Michael Jordan. And Mark Eaton was a decent center for the Jazz. Isn't he up there on the all-time shotblocking list not too far behind Dream and Deke?
I wish I had seen that link a few months ago. I had to cobble together a list of retired jerseys and ended up going through each team's individual Wiki page.
I think Mark Price is severely underrated. Daugherty was very much because of injuries, but that'd be like us retiring Ralph's jersey or something. Maybe not quite to that degree, but something like that. So I don't mind Price, but I kinda mind Daugherty.
to me, heyp, you're missing the point of retired numbers. these players might hold a sentimental value or be a fan favorite in cities. they can be role players had a great 15 year career in one city, etc. this is for the value of a player to a certain franchise, not an indicator of their greatness.
maybe no one wants to say it, but I will.. Malik Sealy and Bobby Phills were retired for dying early and tragically (and for being good people by most accounts). So they would have to rank up there on this thread's list, though the reasoning wasn't their play in the first place so maybe you can discount them. (Petrovic was at least on pace for a great career and was a pioneer for Euros coming over and all.)
the litmus test for retiring a number in your franchise shouldn't be, "well, he's the best player we've had so far...oh lookie here, here's another one...oh, well now we have to include him, too." the litmus test should be: if your franchise ever becomes a dynasty, will you regret retiring Austin Carr and Mark Eaton's number." haha I mean, you can't go wrong with retiring HOFers. Beyond that, I think you have to wait for championship banners to occur, but you cut into your list of numbers. I mean, Cleveland took freaking #34 off the table...for what? Austin freaking Carr.
Mark Price was a great PG. All-NBA 1st Team, Top Ten in MVP voting multiple times, multiple All-Star, NBA leader in career free throw percentage, top 25 in NBA assists per game. During the 1988-89 season, Price became the third player, along with Larry Bird and Reggie Miller, to shoot at least 40% from three-point range, at least 50% from the field and at least 90% from the free throw line. He was a great 3 point shooter, winning the All-Star shootout contest twice. Plus, he went to my high school for a couple of years and he got to play with and against me, rimrocker, in after-school pickup games. Don't diss Mark Price.
BOSTON CELTICS 1 - Walter Brown; 18* -Jim Loscutoff; 35 - Reggie Lewis CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 7 - Bingo Smith; 34 - Austin Carr DALLAS MAVERICKS 15 - Brad Davis DENVER NUGGETS 40 - Byron Beck; GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 14 - Tom Meschery MILWAUKEE BUCKS 1 - Oscar Robertson; 4 - Sidney Moncrief; 32 - Brian Winters; 4 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 2 - Malik Sealy NEW JERSEY NETS 3 - Drazen Petrovic; 4 - Wendell Ladner; 23 - John Williamson; 25 - Bill Melchionni NEW ORLEANS HORNETS 13 - Bobby Phills NEW YORK KNICKS 12 - Dick Barnett; 15 - Dick McGuire; PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 15 - Hal Greer; PHOENIX SUNS 5 - Dick Van Arsdale; 33 - Alvan Adams; PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 1 - Larry Weinberg; 13 - David Twardzik; 15 - Larry Steele; 36 - Lloyd Neal; 77 - Jack Ramsay SACRAMENTO KINGS 6 - Fans (Sixth Man); 11 - Bob Davies;12 - Maurice Stokes; SAN ANTONIO SPURS 00 - Johnny Moore; SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 10 - Nate McMillan UTAH JAZZ 35 - Darrell Griffith WASHINGTON WIZARDS 25 - Gus Johnson
Haha. That one is good: 1 - Nate "Tiny" Archibald; 2 - Mitch Richmond; 6 - Fans (Sixth Man); 11 - Bob Davies; 12 - Maurice Stokes; 14 - Oscar Robertson; 27 - Jack Twyman; 44 - Sam Lacey
Yeah, I'm not really sure why the hate for Mark Price. If you look at his stats, he was a phenominal player. His numbers are the same, if not slightly better, than Calvin Murphy's. Can someone explain why Calvin is in the HOF? I think an argument can be made that he's the worst NBA player in the HOF, and he didn't win any titles. Someone educate me...
I'm not trying to diss Calvin with this, but the Hall has a lot of gimmick inductees. Calvin's probably in for his FT proficiency, and perhaps small stature.
The odd thing about it, though, is that Calvin is only #9 all time FT% (I know he holds the single season record) and is behind Mark Price.
HUGE part of the early Nuggets. Hometown guy who signed with the team in the ABA. It's a legit retiring.
wow, such an uproar over Mark Price. Fine neither Price nor Murphy deserve to have their numbers retired. I think we retired Calvin's so he'd take less pay in the booth. I think the whole retiring number thing is silly. Except for guys like Hakeem. The Celtics just set a stupid precedence, and franchises now appear to feel a need to retire numbers willy nilly like. I mean, this isn't a retirement ceremony or a statue in the stadium...you are taking a number off the table. Don't mean to diss Mark Price. I think all six of those Cavaliers are unworthy of having their number retired. I thought it was hilarious to look up at their rafters. It's equivalent to the NIT appearances banner at Rice. lol
So basically, the entire point of this thread is that heyp thinks teams shouldn't retire numbers at all. He obviously has a standard that pretty much no one in professional sports has ever accepted as the actual standard for retiring numbers.
