Multiple numbers and multiple teams. Retired numbers (Kobe, LeBron, Shaq)

[JSD]

Will Kobe have 24 and 8 retired?

Will Orlando and Miami ever retire Shaq?

Will Miami retire Lebron?

[Who]

I think Orlando and Miami have said they will retire Shaq's + LeBron's numbers.

I don't think Miami retires Shaq's number.
I don't what LAL will do about Kobe's 2 numbers.

[Donoghus]

If you're the Lakers, do you give Kobe the option of what number he wants retired?  Do you go with "8" because he won more titles wearing that?  I have no idea how you'd handle that situation.  I doubt they'd go the "Loscy" route and just go "Kobe".

[Moranis]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

[bdm860]

This could actually give the Lakers the perfect opportunity to step away from retired numbers and just go the name route and start a new trend for themselves going forward.

Kobe wore 8 for 10 years (and 3 rings), he wore 24 for 10 years (and 2 rings plus an MVP), so let's just start honoring names instead of numbers.  Look D'Angelo and Skal, we don't care how many times you led the Lakers to the Finals only to lose to the Smart and Simmons Celtics.  If we didn't retire Kobe's number, we're not retiring yours.  You get your name up there, and that's that.


Also, you know Kobe is pretty much guaranteed a statue (Magic, Kareem, West, and Chick Hearn have one).  They could use this as a way to honor both numbers.  Retire Kobe's #24, but have Kobe wearing #8 in the statue (I just hope they go with Kobe's mini-fro look).

This is really an interesting topic, because it's so evenly split:
As #8:
3x Champion
8x All Star
1x All Star Game MVP
8x All NBA (4x First, 2x Second, 2x Third)
6x All Defense (4x First, 2x Second)
1x Scoring Champ
1x All Rookie 2nd team

As #24:
2x Champion
9x All Star
3x All Star Game MVP
1x MVP
2x Finals MVP
7x All NBA (7x First Team)
6x All Defense (5x First Team, 1x Second Team)
1x Scoring Champ

As #8 it was Shaq's team, as #24 it was Kobe's.  If they ask him, my guess is he'd go with #24.

[BitterJim]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

Miami retired MJS number and he never even played a game for them, so I wouldn't put anything past them

[TheTruthFot18]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

[Donoghus]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

I also don't think Orlando retiring Shaq's number is all that silly.  Despite not winning a title, its pretty easy to argue that Shaq has made the most impact on that franchise in its 25+ years of existence.  He basically put that team on the map when he got there in '92.  They were a nobody "expansion" era franchise before that.

You ask people to this day who the Magic is synonymous with or who is the first name that comes to mind when you think Magic, a lot of people will say Shaq.

[Moranis]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

and that is just silly also. 

[BballTim]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

and that is just silly also.

  Reggie only played 6 seasons, and DJ was only on the team for 7. I don't think KG (who was the best player on a title team) is horribly silly.

[Donoghus]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

and that is just silly also.

  Reggie only played 6 seasons, and DJ was only on the team for 7. I don't think KG (who was the best player on a title team) is horribly silly.

Not to mention changing the culture of the franchise in the most significant manner since Bird arrived as a rookie.  I'd be shocked if KG didn't get his number retired in Boston.

Anything but "silly" if you ask me.

[Moranis]

Orlando with Shaq and Miami with Lebron are just silly.  Just not enough years to get your number retired.  Though at least Lebron led them to 2 titles and 2 other finals appearances.  That one you can at least justify based on success. 

Kobe will probably have 8 retired.

People think KG could get his retired here with 6 years and 1 title. I don't see a huge difference between that and 4 years 2 titles.

and that is just silly also.

  Reggie only played 6 seasons, and DJ was only on the team for 7. I don't think KG (who was the best player on a title team) is horribly silly.

Reggie died and DJ shouldn't have his number retired.  Neither should Sanders or a couple of other people.

The Retired Numbers should be the best of the best of franchise.  4 seasons should never be enough to get your number retired and even 6 or 7 is a bit light to truly have that generational impact worthy of being one of the best for a franchise.  If KG had been prime KG, with prime KG numbers then I could see the argument, but he wasn't prime KG in Boston and his numbers reflect that.  KG is only in the top 10 for blocks, defensive rebounds, and FG% and he wouldn't be in the top ten of the first two if they kept those stats in the old days.  That isn't retire your number worthy.

[freshinthehouse]

I think we should stop retiring numbers after we retire Pierce's #34.  Future stars can go on a ring of honor or something.  It's ludicrous how many numbers we've retired.  Don Nelson's number?  Give me a break.  Didn't Red say that the spree of number retirements in the 60s and 70s a way to drum up sales?  I know that for how successful the C's were they never were a huge box office draw (until Bird showed up).