Who are the biggest names to have worn the number 6 in the NBA?

published

As NBA has retired the number 6 jersey to honour legendary Bill Russell. Let us find out the biggest names who wore the Number 6 in NBA

The NBA has announced that Bill Russel’s Number 6 Jersey will be retired across the NBA. Players who currently wear No. 6 may continue doing so, but the number cannot be issued again.

Russell is one of 12 players enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame who wore No. 6 at some point in their careers. Currently, some of the players who wore No. 6 are LeBron James, Alex Caruso, Kristaps Porzingis etc. 

Nobody has worn No. 6 for the Celtics since Russell’s final season, 1968-69. Boston retired Russell’s No. 6 in 1972. There have been more than 250 players in NBA history to wear a No. 6 jersey, including 24 who did so in at least one game last season Let’s look at some of the biggest names to have worn the Number 6 Jersey in NBA.

1.Bill Russell 

Arguably the greatest winner in all of the NBA, Bill Russell won 11 championships during his illustrious 13-year career. He was a part of the Boston Celtics which won an NBA record eight straight titles and won back-to-back titles as a player-coach during his final two seasons. 

image 712
Bill Russel is probably the best ever in the history of the NBA to wear the Number 6 Jersey (The Nation View)

Russell is widely considered to be the greatest big man defender in NBA history and one of the greatest players in the game. His agility and athleticism have helped him overcome many enemies. 

The league honoured Russell by naming the award for the best player in the Finals as the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award and now by retiring the number 6 jersey forever. 

Achievements: 11x NBA champion, 5x MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 1x All-Star MVP, 1x All-Defensive Team, 4x rebounding champion, Hall of Fame (1975)

2. Julius Erving 

One of the greatest players ever to wear the No.6 Jersey is Julius Erving or Dr J. He was known to be the precursor to Michael Jordan, who can soar to the air with the greatest of ease while dunking ferociously on his opponents. 

image 713
Julius Erving is one of the greatest players ever to wear the No.6 Jersey (Bleacher Report)

He played his first five years in the ABA before playing the rest of his playing career in the NBA. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers in NBA and won the 1981 NBA MVP and an NBA championship in 1983. Erving was an All-Star every year that he played. 

He took his retirement in 1987 at the age of 37 and the Sixers soon retired his jersey No.6. 

Achievements: 1x NBA champion, 1x MVP, 16-time All-Star, 2x All-Star MVP, 7x All-NBA, J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983), Hall of Fame (1993)

3. Walter Davis 

Davis was selected by The Phoenix Suns as the No.5 overall pick of the 1977 NBA Draft and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. his rookie year was the best-scoring season of his career when he put up 24.2 points per game.

image 714
Walter Davis was one of the star players for the Pheonix Suns (Alchetron)

His unbelievable achievement got him a spot on the second team All-NBA which is a rare achievement for a rookie. He averaged 20 or more points six times in his 15-year career. Davis was one of the star players for the Pheonix Suns. The Suns retired his No. 6 jersey after becoming the franchise’s leader in career points with 15,666.

Achievements: 1978 Rookie of the Year, 1977-78 All-Rookie Team, 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA

4. Patrick Ewing 

Patrick Ewing wore the No.6 during the 2001-02 seasons as a member of the Orlando Magic. This was Ewing’s 17th and final NBA season. 

image 715
Patrick Ewing was one of the star players for the Knicks (Posting and Toasting)

Drafted No.1 overall in 1985 by the New York Knicks, the Georgetown product quickly proved its worth by earning the Rookie of the Year Award. Ewing averaged 20.0 or more points in 13 of his 15 years playing for the fans at Madison Square Garden.

Patrick Ewing brought the Knicks to the brink of a title in 1995 against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals but unfortunately lost the game in seven games. He is undoubtedly one of the star players for the Knicks.

Achievements: 1986 Rookie of the Year, 1985-86 All-Rookie Team, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 3x All-Defensive, Hall of Fame (2008)

5. Ben Wallace 

Ben Wallace wore No.6 during his second stint with the Detroit Pistons from 2009-10 to 2011-12 before retiring from the NBA. Pistons fans acknowledge him as one of the best defensive basketball teas ever. 

image 716
Ben Wallace won the Defensive Player of the Year Award four times (Pinterest)

The 6-foot-9 centre was a defensive beast who protected the 2000-01 to 2005-06 Pistons teams that reached the NBA Finals twice and won a championship in 2004. He is one of the only two players to have won the Defensive Player of the Year Award four times in his career.

Wallace has now been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Achievements: 1x NBA champion, 4x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 6x All-Defensive Team, 2x rebounding champion, Hall of Fame (2021)

6. LeBron James 

LeBron James donned the number 6 jersey for the first time with the Miami Heat, The same number as one of his idols which is Julius Erving. James dominated in his new number which he wore during his whole tenure in Miami. He won back-to-back MVP awards as a member of the Miami Heat. 

image 717
LeBron James is a four times NBA Champion ( LeBron Wire)

While wearing the number six e averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. James also wore the number while playing on the USA team. He won two Olympic gold medals during his USA basketball career. 

The modern-day legend has won two championships, two MVPs, and two Finals MVPs during the brief time that he donned the number. King James is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and is often compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player ever. 

Achievements: 4x NBA Champion, 4x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA Most Valuable Player, 18x NBA All-Star, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist. 

Read More:

Follow our dedicated NBA page for instant NBA news and updates