Miami Heat retire Micheal Jordan's Jersey

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Link to a picture of the retired half Bulls/half Wizards jersey retired by the Heat..

 

This makes no sense to me at all. Jordan never played for the Heat, and off the top of my head never had any spectacular games vs them either. Its also a pretty good knock on the Miami Heat organization as well, since the first jersey that they retired isn't one of their own players..

[moral suasion 0]

I think they are trying to start a Jackie Robinson-like trend where his number is retired in every arena. It's stupid and lame in my opinion.

[HurriShane 0]

It is lame, but that is a pretty sweet looking jersey.

[Guest starvenger]

They should just go the Gretzky route and have the number officially retired by the league.

[Guest Harry Hood]

WAsn't Jackie's the first number to do this in a league? Cos if so, it's a shame that this is happening with Jordan, and I like him...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I disagree. As great has Micheal Jordan was, he was only a player. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. 42 is the only number that should be permantley retired. That includes Wayne Gretzky.

[Guest Eagan469]

They should just go the Gretzky route and have the number officially retired by the league.

agreed

[Guest Choken One]

I agree with Vern...As great as Gretezky and Jordan were...They didn't change the landscape of the game and America with their presence like Robinson...

 

It's pretty sad...I would thought Alonzo would gotten his # retired first not a guy that done nothing for the team...

[Guest Redhawk]

Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretsky did change the landscape of their respective sports -- maybe not on the socio-political levels that Jackie Robinson did, but they change it a lot.

 

Jordan is synonymous with basketball and the NBA, just like Wayne is for hockey and the NHL. And it's safe to say that no one will ever come as close to them in stature. I'd say retire them both, 23 and 99.

[Guest Lethargic]

I agree with Vern...As great as Gretezky and Jordan were...They didn't change the landscape of the game and America with their presence like Robinson...

 

It's pretty sad...I would thought Alonzo would gotten his # retired first not a guy that done nothing for the team...

To get your number retired YOU have to be retired. Alonzo is not retired. He's supposed to be back next year but probably not with the Heat.

 

I'd say Jordan has done a lot more for basketball than Robinson did for baseball. Go ahead and shoot me but Robinson was just the guy that showed up at the right time. There were plenty of other black baseball players in the Negro League that could've done what he did if they had been given the chance instead of him. It's not like his number got retired because of what he did on the field. It got retired because he was black and did it. But NOBODY can do what Jordan has done for the NBA. Not that what Robinson went through wasn't important but I think awards like these should be based solely on what you did on the field, on the court, on the ice and Jordan has done more for his league than any other single player did for his league besides MAYBE Gretzky.

[Guest DVD Spree]

Redhawk, your sig's funny as fuck.

[Guest starvenger]

WAsn't Jackie's the first number to do this in a league? Cos if so, it's a shame that this is happening with Jordan, and I like him...

Maybe, but Jordan didn't do what Robinson did, so I can't compare the two.

 

What Jordan's done is comparable to what Gretzky has done, though, and if the NHL saw fit to retire 99 (as if anyone not named Wilf Paiment or Wayne Gretzky could wear that anyways) then the NBA should retire 23.

[Guest alkeiper]

Personally, I don't think any player should have his/her number retired league-wide.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird deserve more credit for saving Basketball than Micheal Jordan. The league was a mess before Magic and Bird came into the league in 1979. If Bird and Magic hadn't come into the league, Jordan's impact wouldn't of been has great.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

Wayne Gretzky made history with the Oilers, and made the sport nationally huge with Los Angeles. If it weren't for #99, there would never be the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, or Atlanta Thrashers.

 

Wait a minute....d'oh!

[Guest Redhawk]

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird deserve more credit for saving Basketball than Micheal Jordan.

 

No one's saying Jordan saved basketball. But while Magic and Larry saved it, Mike took the NBA to a whole 'nother level. He changed the way people looked at basketball and sports in general.

 

Redhawk, your sig's funny as fuck.

 

Thank you.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I've always wondered what would happen if a team retires so many numbers that there's not enough for the current roster...

[Guest RepoMan]

I think the NBA should retire 23 too. I hate any player besides Jordan who wears 23.

[Guest Redhawk]

I've always wondered what would happen if a team retires so many numbers that there's not enough for the current roster...

I was actually thinking about that when I saw the rafters at North Carolina. Have you seen them? There's like 20-30 jerseys up there. It's like they retire everyone who went to the NBA. Maybe they don't retire the number, they just acknowledge the player or something. The Celtics have a lot of retired numbers, too.

[Guest swan]

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird deserve more credit for saving Basketball than Micheal Jordan. The league was a mess before Magic and Bird came into the league in 1979. If Bird and Magic hadn't come into the league, Jordan's impact wouldn't of been has great.

Maybe true but Jordan made the NBA a cross over money machine with posters, shoes, toys, videos, and clothing.

[Guest Spicy McHaggis]

Go ahead and shoot me but Robinson was just the guy that showed up at the right time. There were plenty of other black baseball players in the Negro League that could've done what he did if they had been given the chance instead of him. It's not like his number got retired because of what he did on the field. It got retired because he was black and did it. But NOBODY can do what Jordan has done for the NBA.

Utter bullshit. Yes there were other players in the Negro Leagues, but nobody had thicker skin or more restraint than Jackie. He kept his mouth shut and his smile on through all the crap he went through. Another man might have snapped at an epithet and yelled back or worse... and that would've blown the whole operation. Sure someone would have had it handed to him. But he wouldn't have earned it the way Robinson did.

 

And it's safe to say that no one will ever come as close to them in stature.

Why?

[Guest Harry Hood]

Remember Jackie Robinson stealing home...I do

 

While there were other great Negro League players, like Spicey McHaggis said, noone could have even came close to what Jackie did at those times. The only other player who I think might have been able to shoulder that load in the history of baseball was Clemente.

[Gert T 0]

The original question, why did the Heat do this? To try to have at least one sellout this year.

[Guest Redhawk]

And it's safe to say that no one will ever come as close to them in stature.

Why?

Unless something happens and basketball and hockey turn back into what they were before MJ and Gretzsky came along, no player in either sport will ever match them. There might be players who are better, but no one will ever be as important for their sport as MJ and Wayne.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

There might be players who are better, but no one will ever be as important for their sport as MJ and Wayne.

Gretzky is statistically untouchable. Absolutely untouchable.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Wouldn't it be funny if the Heat won the lottery and took LeBron, then did an about face and unretired #23? We would probably hear some spin about how "Jordan would want LeBron to wear 23" or whatnot.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

There might be players who are better, but no one will ever be as important for their sport as MJ and Wayne.

Gretzky is statistically untouchable. Absolutely untouchable.

You beat me to it. No one - in any sport -will do statistically what Gretzky did to the hockey rule book. Even if he never scored a single goal he'd still be the all time leader in points.

 

Some people might say that if Lemieux stayed healthy then he'd be comparable, but that's just it: he couldn't stay healthy. Gretz stayed relatively healthy his entire career.

[Guest Kelly]

I'd say it'd be better for Chicago or Washington to have Michael hand the number to an emerging player, in an encouragement to that player. Same goes for Gretzky.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I'd say it'd be better for Chicago or Washington to have Michael hand the number to an emerging player, in an encouragement to that player. Same goes for Gretzky.

Washington yes, Chicago no. #23 stays in the United Center rafters.