Numbers Don't Lie: The Cultural Legacy of Basketball Jerseys

Jersey numbers represent more than just identification—they embody legacy, personal connections, and cultural significance within basketball history. Tré explores why certain iconic numbers like 23 and 24 carry special weight and shares his personal journey with number 14.

• Gilbert Arenas' take that certain players shouldn't wear numbers with strong associations like Kobe's 24
• Personal connections to jersey numbers, including Tré's switch to #14 after his cousin's passing
• The significance of jersey numbers for identity, legacy, and inspiration
• The Denver Nuggets' dilemma with retiring #15 for both Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Jokić
• Defense of Carmelo Anthony's legacy and right to jersey retirement despite championship results
• Arguments for jersey number retirement based on statistical significance and team impact

Please like, subscribe, and comment! Tell anyone who's anyone about the show. Also, let us know your favorite jersey number and what your game is like.

Chapters

• 0:00 Show Introduction
• 0:24 The Importance of Jersey Numbers
• 0:48 Iconic Numbers and Player Legacy
• 1:22 Personal Connection to Number 14
• 3:13 Nuggets Jersey Retirement Debate
• 6:09 Episode Wrap-up and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

What's up everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show. Get a Bucket. I'm your host, trey, and as usual, I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day.

Speaker 1: 0:07

Today we're going to talk about why jersey numbers are important, but before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment to anyone who's anyone about the show Trying to get the ratings up a little bit. You know, just a little bit. But like I said, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to talk about jersey numbers and their importance because they really are important. They just they're.

Speaker 1: 0:25

It's molding, just saying, oh, we can call out number 20 or number three, like they actually mean something to people. Let's, let's get personal right, because I actually heard gilbert arenas mentioned this on his show before, on a show before randomly, but he was stating that certain players should not wear certain numbers, like the number 24, for example. I mean not a lot of players should wear 24. Cause you got Colby as the reference. Shame is 23. You know what I mean? Number three, like we got Allen Iverson. 23 obviously was referenced to Jordan. If you didn't know that, some might even say bra, but certain players should not wear certain numbers. That was his take and I'm like you know what. Ok, I do understand that.

Speaker 1: 1:13

Keep in mind my seventh grade year, right, trying out for the middle school team seven eight graders. I did make it, by the way, in case I was wondering, but I did, I did rock with the number 15 because of Carmelo Anthony. So, like the way players do play, they can inspire other players, other future players, to take on that same number, their same game. We also got here my cousin, right. She passed away a long time ago. I was in middle school at the time and again, I told you guys, guys, I rocked with Carmelo and Kobe was my guy, obviously, but Melo I rocked because of the Syracuse moment, right, and so I changed my number from 15 to 14. Because, again, my cousin, it was more of an emotional connection. So, even to this day, right, like all right, I do have a. I got a 23 up here, I do have a 23. But then after that we had straight 14s you know what I'm saying Like 14, 14 jersey number right here. 14 jersey number, right here. Like, ladies and gentlemen, jersey numbers do matter. Like I just showed three or four jerseys, right, there were number 14, that's what I took on. Now, again, kobe's my guy. But the number I personally rock with is the number 14.

Speaker 1: 2:40

But I do understand what Gilbert Arena's man when he said certain players should not wear certain numbers. Like, if you are a bench warmer, if you're wearing 24, someone might look at that and say, oh, that's Kobe's number, oh, you might. What's wrong? Like you know, I'm saying like that, I do understand that. Ok, because there is an identity and recognition to the number with the NBA or the player. Right, because this could go across any sport platform where you're talking about football, basketball, tennis oh, not tennis, they don't got no numbers. But anyone that got a number, it associates with them Legacy and inspiration, personal significance.

Speaker 1: 3:15

Like I mentioned, team regulations, where we're just trying to figure out, you know, box scores and stats who did what. We could have a situation where everybody got the same, or someone got the same or someone got the same name. That could get interesting. So that's why we got numbers again, branding, right. These are reasons why jersey numbers are important. But then also we have moments such as such as this right we got, we're just gonna go straight to it because retirements do occur, right, and we do have situations where a Nicola Jokic and Carmela Anthony have the same number, same number and both are significant to their organization. And keep in mind, I'm tired of anybody who tried to do any Carmelo Anthony slander because Buddy's top five in the Nuggets all-time statistic categories for like so many categories, it's ridiculous. And for you bronze fans out there, all y'all be talking about, oh, bronze and top five, da-da-da-da-da, okay, cool. Well, that means Carmelo Anthony deserves to have his jersey number retired as well.

Speaker 1: 4:22

I understand he did not win a championship. That's cool. My boys prevented that in 2009. But keep in mind, if they got past a very stout Lakers squad, if they got past that squad, they were going to win the championship. This kind of goes back to my whole point of having the 1-16 playoffs, because I would really appreciate it if we had seen that playoffs in the finals, that playoff matchup in the finals opposed to the Magic. No disrespect, just the Nuggets were built a little different. They were ready. But Nikola Jokic, you got to retire his jersey as well because, again, he brought a championship to the Nuggets. You have to, without question, like he led the squad and people are going to say, oh, he did so without NBA all-stars helping him.

Speaker 1: 5:16

So, again, jersey numbers they are important because, keep in mind, this very conversation right here sparked off in a group chat multiple group chats I've been in and various people tried to allude that carmelo anthony did not deserve his jersey retired by the denver nuggets. And that is very insane to even to even make that statement. Just, you know, I mean that is very insane to even make that statement. It's just wild. But again, jersey numbers, they matter. A lot of people are going to complain about them, a lot of people are going to make some wild takes, but they're more than just numbers, ladies and gentlemen. They have significance, they have meaning, they have impact.

Speaker 1: 6:04

So I hope you all learned a nice little lesson about jersey numbers. And I'm actually curious what's your favorite jersey number as well? Definitely, let me know that, because I'm curious. Like and you know, describe what your game like too. You know what I mean. Like, if you got, if your favorite favorite number 24, I am expecting you to boogie woogie a little bit. You know what I'm saying. So again, just let me know, I want to know what your game like. But, ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the end of the episode. So definitely I appreciate you all for listening and taking time out today. Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment. Tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is trey. I'm the host to get a bucket. Hope you all are having a good one, take care.