PUBLISHED: 11-23-09

Jazz’d Up

No. 23 rafter worthy league-wide

The voice of an athlete is far more powerful than most of us would like to admit. Oftentimes it can destroy a career, become his or her legacy and most times create very memorable one-liners. Many sports enthusiasts vividly remember Allen Iverson’s comments about practice and Terrell Owens’ comments about “his” quarterback. Let’s face it, an athlete’s voice, whether positive or negative, can potentially be career-defining.

However, when LeBron James recently expressed his views on the No. 23, I immediately paused. James is suggesting that Michael Jordan’s No. 23 be retired league-wide. He also announced that he will take the initiative to discontinue wearing the number after this season and become No. 6.

The 24-year-old star said that he will start a petition to ensure that his suggestion is recognized by the NBA. Many of today’s NBA stars refer to Jordan as the greatest player to play the game and credit him for the reason for their interest in the sport. So, why shouldn’t his jersey number be retired and respected by the entire league instead of just the
Chicago Bulls?

This is not uncommon in sports. When Wayne Gretzky retired from the NHL, the league announced that no other player would be able to wear his number.  Jackie Robinson’s No. 42  was  retired league-wide in Major League Baseball.
To fur

ther drive home his point, James also brought up something that I have been passionate about for years. I am a firm believer that not only should MJ’s number be retired league-wide, but that he should be the NBA logo. Currently the logo is a silhouette of Jerry West, the former player and coach of the L.A. Lakers.

No disrespect to West, he was a great player. However, Michael Jordan has been the most influential basketball player in  sports and for that, he deserves to be the face of the league. The NBA has made hundreds of millions of dollars and gained popularity because of Michael Jeffrey Jordan alone. If you don’t believe me, just poll some of the athletes playing today, and even some of Jordan’s peers.

I realize that convincing the league to change the logo would be a hard battle to win, but retiring No. 23 throughout the league should not be. Though the league continues to wrestle with the idea, I think James should be commended for his effort. Whether his suggestions become a league mandate or not, James showed great humility in his attempt to honor the greatest athlete of all time.

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