Predicting The Next NBA Jersey Retirements

With the Warriors retiring Andre Iguodala’s No. 9 jersey this past weekend and the Chicago Bulls planning to retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey, let’s predict some of the next jersey retirements throughout the NBA.

1. Lebron James - No. 23 Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers & No. 6 Miami Heat

These jersey retirements are as obvious as it gets. For Cleveland, James brought the city of Cleveland its first championship in 2016, which ended a 52 year championship drought.

He led the Cavaliers and overcame a 3-1 deficit, beating the greatest regular season team in NBA history. His Cleveland journey was long since he left them for Miami in 2010, but he achieved what he promised once he returned.

For Miami, he signed with the Heat, pairing up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and brought the franchise its second championship while completing a repeat in 2012 and 2013.

After his second tenure with the Cavaliers, he made the decision to sign with the Lakers, following in the footsteps of some of the greatest stars the NBA has ever seen. Pairing up with Anthony Davis in 2020, he delivered, cementing himself in Lakers history and earning Los Angeles their first championship since 2010 and their 17th NBA title.

2. Warriors Dynasty

These jersey retirements would likely take up this entire list if I separated them into individual slots. That’s how stacked the Warriors roster was from 2015-2019.

The original big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are jersey retirement locks. I think the Warriors could even honor them by hanging their jerseys in the rafters on the same night.

The trio of No. 30, No. 11, and No. 23 changed the course of NBA history and the trajectory of the future of the league. The NBA is played as skillfully as it has ever been because of them.

I haven’t even mentioned Kevin Durant, who’s jersey will likely be retired by two franchises. The Warriors wouldn’t complete their redemption tour in 2017 and they wouldn’t have been in line for a back-to-back in 2018 without Durant. No. 35 will be hanging in the rafters with the rest of the leaders of the dynasty.

3. Chris Paul - No. 3 New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans & Los Angeles Clippers

Paul was a star for New Orleans in his six seasons where he averaged 18 points and just under 10 assists per game, making the all-star game four of his six years, winning rookie of the year, and finishing runner-up in MVP voting in the ’07-’08 season.

In his prime on the Hornets, Paul was regarded as the best all-around guard in the NBA. He had elite defense, averaging the league-lead in steals in back-to-back seasons to go along with his elite playmaking and scoring ability.

One of the brightest moments as a Hornet was during the 2008 playoffs when he forced a Game 7 against the reigning NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.

Wanting a change of scenery, Paul was traded to the Clippers in the offseason of 2011, joining a young high-flying team.

The team soon became known as the Lob City Clippers as the trio of Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were scary to face.

Paul would turn the Clippers franchise, becoming perennial contenders every season. He was a double-double machine and became the engine of a top offense in the NBA.

Although they never found consistent playoff success, Paul’s era in LA changed how we view Clippers basketball today.

4. Russell Westbrook - No. 0 Oklahoma City Thunder

This again would be an obvious one, but it depends on when he retires. He may play out the rest of his contract with the Nuggets, he may sign a small extension with them for another couple seasons.

However, extending his career wouldn’t discount his tenure with the Thunder and how impactful of a player he became for the organization.

Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden formed a young trio of stars, who led the Thunder to an NBA Finals appearance in 2012 and multiple other west conference finals berths.

Once Harden was traded to Houston, the duo of Westbrook and Durant became one of the best duos in the entire NBA.

Everything changed in the offseason of 2016 when Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State, the team that ended the Thunder’s season just months before.

Westbrook was given the keys in the next season and became one of the best players in the league, winning the 2017 MVP while averaging a 30-point triple-double and becoming the first since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double in a season.

He was a special player for the Thunder and even though his Thunder teams never could reach the top, he broke NBA records and provided the organization with hope as they transitioned into a new era.

5. Kyle Lowry - No. 7 Toronto Raptors

Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, Lowry was a bench player at the beginning of his career. He went to the Rockets, but never found his home until he settled in Toronto.

As a Raptor, Lowry and Demar DeRozan led them to playoff success and even claimed the No. 1 seed in the eastern conference in 2018, however, there was no team defeating Lebron James in his eastern conference reign.

Lowry averaged 17 points and 7 assists in his near decade-long career in Toronto, changing the franchise and competing on the biggest of stages, specifically in the 2019 NBA finals.

Before the 2019 season, the Raptors made the difficult decision to trade away Lowry’s partner, DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, but it paid dividends when attempting to get over the hump that previous Raptor teams couldn’t do.

Lowry was the glue who brought continuity to that 2019 Finals team, and it helped them reach the NBA finals and bring the first ever NBA championship to Canada.

After they won, it carved Lowry’s name as arguably the greatest Raptor in the franchise’s history.

6. Mike Conley - No. 11 Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies so far have retired Marc Gasol’s jersey, Zach Randolph’s jersey, and will be retiring Tony Allen’s jersey this season.

Those ‘Grit & Grind’ Grizzlies teams were special defensively but Conley was the facilitator who led those teams offensively.

He averaged 15 points and 6 assists in his Grizzlies career, nearly taking the team to the western conference finals in 2011 after beating the Spurs in the first round.

Conley and the rest of the Core Four set an example and truly represented the persona of the city of Memphis and there’s no reason why Conley shouldn’t be honored with a jersey retirement like the rest.

Owen Daszko is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email opd5073@psu.edu.