Depending on the technical arsenal, physical condition and height, each player takes a well-defined position on the court. When playing a beginner level, two main positions should be distinguished, based on the location of the player on the court - the back line or the front line. There are five such positions in modern amateur basketball. Whereas in professional basketball there are ten positions. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the basic description of the role of players in basketball. If, after reading, questions remain, then come to the training session and the coach will determine your position on the playing court.
First number or point guard
Stephen Curry is a prime example in the NBA. In Russia - Denis Zakharov. The average height of a professional player is 183-195 centimeters. Weight 75-90 kilograms. The point guard or play maker is the brain of the team. He handles the ball with ease. Looking at the game of the exemplary first number, it seems that the basketball is an extension of his arm. All movements are smooth and controlled, but at any moment the smoothness of the course is replaced by a sharp jerk. What combination to start, in which direction to go and how to build an attack - this is the task of the first number. This player should not only see his teammates, but also calculate the situation on the court. During defensive actions, the player insures the team from a quick breakaway of the opposing team. Not so long ago, the main role of the point guard was to take the ball out of his zone and transfer it to the attack. But that time has passed. In modern professional basketball, priority is given to versatile players that combine qualities that allow the player to play in adjacent positions. This is how the position of the Combo Guard stands out. Based on the name, it can be determined that the player combines a combination of qualities necessary for defense and attack. So the player performs the functions of point guard and attacking defender. In the old interpretation of basketball, combo guards were seen as players who did not know how to fully realize themselves on the playing field. Over time, this attitude towards players has changed and now you can meet well-known and successful representatives of the guards.
Number two or attacking defender
Kobe Bryant is a prime example in the NBA. In Russia - Sergey Babkov. The average height of a professional player is 190-200 centimeters. Weight 85-100 kilograms. Shooting guard is in most cases the main sniper of the team. His specialty is precision shooting from any distance, including three-pointers and free kicks. It is the second number that is largely responsible for the team's performance. In addition to an accurate throw, the player of this role has good dribbling. He easily breaks through the opponent's defense and enters the "paint". The athletic qualities of the player allow him to make jump shots after speed dribbling. In defense, the player takes care of the most dangerous snipers of the opposing team and is the main interceptor of the balls. Lightning-fast lead - this is exactly the quality that the second number has. A versatile second player who can play adjacent positions is called a Swingman. This role implies a combination of the positions of the second and third numbers. The athlete's athleticism and speed allow him to play effectively against both large players using speed, as well as against less athletic opponents. This position is one of the most versatile, because its representative can carry out both attack and defense equally well.
Third number or light forward
LeBron James is a prime example in the NBA. In Russia - Andrey Kirilenko. The average height of a professional player is 195-210 centimeters. Weight 95-110 kilograms. Small Forward is a player with the main function of scoring points for a team. Despite being a perimeter player, the light forward is a good helper for big players in picking up the ball, both under the opponent's hoop and under his own. And this is successfully achieved by the players of this role, because they have a higher height than the first and second numbers. Height, mobility and good coordination allow you to block and outplay your opponent's shots. Due to their tall stature, many representatives of this role are gaining weight and moving into representatives of heavy forwards. In modern basketball, there is the concept of point forward. The player combines the positions of the first and third numbers. With such a player in the arsenal, the team can count on a combination of playing and attacking qualities in one person. Excellent vision of the court and accurate passes, coupled with the growth of the player, allow him to outplay the less tall players in the opposing team and pass under the basket to attack.
Number four or powerful forward
A prime example in the NBA is Dirk Nowitzki. In Russia - Viktor Khryapa. The average height of a professional player is 200-215 centimeters. Weight 105-115 kilograms. Of course, the position of a heavy forward (English Power Forward) implies not only height, but also power. In the struggle for rebound, which is the main task of this role, we have to confront the big players. Working mostly under the rim, the players come into close contact, where every centimeter of the court won is not so easy. In the 3-second zone, contact reaches its climax, because it is in this zone that the referees commit fouls only in case of obvious violations. If a player of the first or second number enters this zone, then a demonstrative fall, as a foul play gesture, will most likely not be noticed by the referee. The intensity of the fight under the ring and the correct body position make it necessary for the player to have excellent physical fitness coupled with endurance. Like any player on the court, a powerful forward must be in control of the ball. Of course, in the technical arsenal of a player, one cannot find that variety in dribbling, but nevertheless he must, if necessary, take the ball out of his zone, being under team pressure. In this regard, the player's position has changed quite strongly over time. Previously, the main task of the fourth number was the ability to work in defense. Attack remained a priority for other players. An adjacent position that combines the skills of the third and fourth numbers is the position of the Comboforward.
Fifth number or center in basketball
Shaquille O'Neal is a prime example in the NBA. In Russia - Alexey Savrasenko. The average height of a professional player is 210-220 centimeters. Weight 110-125 kilograms. Center is a player whose task is to play under the basket and fight for the rebound. The growth and dimensions of the fifth issue perfectly allow him to cope with this task. Everyone knows that good and solid defense in your own zone is the key to success on the playing court. It is the center that does not give a chance to continue the attack after an unsuccessful throw from the attacking side. Largely because of their size, many center players poorly implement free throws. But modern basketball makes new demands on the players of this position. Every year there are fewer players on the field above 220 centimeters. Priority is given to less massive and more mobile players who also have an excellent throw from under the ring and can effectively break free throws in the last minutes of the match. It is the fifth numbers that are the leaders of the team in terms of the number of rebounds under the shield and the number of block shots. The player who has the speed of number 4 and the strength of number 5 is called a center forward. This player fights both for rebound and confidently attacks at the border of the three-second zone with his face or back to the ring. Unlike typical centers, the center's speed allows him to maintain a fast lead.
Today, three of the most popular team sports stand out. Football goes first without question, and basketball and hockey are second and third. It should be noted that the first sport is more widespread in Europe, while the other two are on the American continent. However, basketball is very popular everywhere, even if the strongest is located in the United States. Millions of people watch basketball games and enjoy it incredibly. And it’s even more fun if you know all the positions in basketball. If, until now, there were just five players from each team on the field, then this article is just for you. Here you can find out what the name of each of the five positions is, what functions each player performs, and also how these positions are divided along the lines.
Basketball lines
If you want to know everything about positions in basketball, then you need to start small, or rather, in general. The first thing you need to deal with is the lanes that all players are divided into. There are only two of them - front and back. It's easy to guess what each of them is responsible for. The back line is the players who defend their ring from enemy attacks, and also start their own team's attacks. Accordingly, the front line is the players who attack the opponent's ring. They can also try to prevent the enemy from going into a counterattack. Actually, there is nothing difficult about this: different formations assume different numbers of players in the lines, but the standard scheme implies two players in the back row and three players in the front row. Now that you understand the basics of lines, you can take a look at the basic positions in basketball.
Basic positions
Positions in basketball for each player are different, but we will talk about them a little later. There are only five of them, and each of them will be described in detail. But first you need to consider the basic positions, of which there are only three: defender, center and striker. Again, there is absolutely nothing complicated here, since the roles of the players in their positions can be understood instantly. The defenders defend the ring, the attackers attack the opponent's ring, and the center is the link between attack and defense. At the same time, it is impossible to single out any of the most important of the three basic positions, because each of them is incredibly important. But these are only general concepts. Now you should take a closer look at the positions in basketball in English and Russian, as well as the tasks of each of the five players.
Five positions
So, it's time to take a look at the five basic positions of basketball. In the back line, these are the point guard and attacking defenders, and in the front line - the heavy and light forward, as well as the center.
Point guard
So, it's worth starting with an analysis of abbreviations that are used in basketball to refer to specific positions on the field. For example, SF is a basketball position that denotes a light forward who is usually closest to the opponent's ring. But it's worth starting with your ring, so the first player to consider is the point guard. In English, it is called either komboguard or point guard, and its abbreviation looks like PG (in the Russian version, respectively, РЗ). What functions does this player perform? In fact, he has a very large amount of work, since he sees almost the entire site, respectively, it depends on him how effectively the whole team will play. He is the dispatcher, the passer, from which the team's attacks begin. In defensive actions, he serves as the last line, so he must be tall in order to be able to shoot the opponent's throws. But don't think that this position is more important than other basketball positions. Freestyle 2 and other computer basketball games also prove that every position matters.
Attacking defender
The next back row player who is slightly further away from his ring is the attacking defender. As you can see, it is not so easy to understand basketball, the positions of the players are very diverse. In English, this position can be called both swingman and shooting guard, the abbreviation looks, respectively, like SG (or AZ in Russian). As for the role on the field, this defender, as you can already understand from the name of the position, is more aimed at attack than defense. Usually this is the best sniper of the team, who can score more points than other points, as well as pull down the enemy's defense, unleashing the hands of his partners. In defense, this player's task is to patronize the most dangerous attacking opponents.
Now you know what basketball positions are in the back row. It's time to move on to the front lane, which has three more players.
Light forward
The first player in the attacking line to talk about is the light forward, which was mentioned a little earlier. In English, this position is called pitch forward, that is, SF. Accordingly, the Russian abbreviation for this position is LF. But what is more important is what role this player plays on the field. This position is the place for the agile attacker. He acts along the entire front at once, and can also spend a lot of time under the ring, gaining points there. Many have played in this position or in a mixed point forward position. The latter combines the features of both a light forward and a point guard. As you can see, absolutely all positions in basketball are of great importance. The description of each of them proves this once again.
Heavy forward
This is a rather interesting position, which allows the player to work out immediately both in attack and defense. Moreover, some well-known heavy forwards almost always focus on defensive action, but there are also those who manage to earn a quarter or even a third of their team's points. In English, this position is called power forward and, accordingly, is denoted as PF, but in Russian, its abbreviation is naturally denoted as TF. It should be said right away that the main responsibility of this player, who does not play as close to the opponent's ring as the light forward, is to pick up the ball both in defense and in attack. Accordingly, the player must have high physical strength, powerful build, because otherwise it will be very difficult to cope with such a task. As with the light forward, this position can be combined with the duties of a point guard (or playing a combo forward who serves as both forwards). However, this is rarely practiced, as the volume of work for the heavy forward is already impressive. Accordingly, such mixtures are rare.
Center
And of course, you definitely need to tell in more detail about the center, who is actually the center of the whole team. In English, it is called so - the center - and therefore denoted accordingly - Ts.As you could already understand, in Russian the abbreviation will be exactly the same, therefore in all languages this position is denoted as Ts.
As for the playing role of this player, everything is quite complicated here. It would seem that this player should play in the center of the field and associate attack with defense - by analogy with football. But in reality, everything is completely different here, because the center in basketball determines his center with a field not along, but across. This means that this player is always focused on the opponent's ring. In fact, his task is to play under the ring and get points. Of course, for the tallest player in the team, so most often in this position you can find players over 210 centimeters tall, up to 225 centimeters. Note that the center can take on additional heavy forward duties so that he can play a point forward or combo forward, thereby moving away from the ring and playing a little further, which changes his function. As you can see, the five main positions of the players may not be clearly assigned to them, there are also intermediate ones.
So, here are the 10 weirdest decisions about removing numbers from circulation in the NBA.
In fact, I am not only not against the overwhelming majority of numbers that are being withdrawn from circulation, but even advocate an increase in their number. When I played basketball simulators, I did not use much more numbers among the players of my team than in the real NBA. Even at Celtics, I managed to manage not only without 21 officially displayed numbers, but also without the seven, eight and 44, and sometimes some others. But there are times when even I am indignant. I’m still ready to admit some of the numbers (almost all) of the ten below, but nevertheless, it’s strange to see some banners under the arches of arenas.
The selection and ranking criteria are simple - my own taste. I perceive a player as deserving of honor as an immortalized number in the team, if he significantly helped the club reach real heights in the NBA or spent almost his entire career in one team, or his greatness is so grandiose (see Chamberlain) that even several bright seasons on the team give him the right to such honor. Numbers immortalized due to tragic incidents remain outside the brackets.
* * *
Out of competition. Dan Marino (# 13) - Miami Heat *
Reading the number of an athlete from another sport is a rather stupid idea. Of course Dan Marino is a true legend in Florida. But what does it have to do with basketball? The answer is no. In the year Marino was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, the Miami Heat NBA team decided to join the glory of the great Dolphins quarterback and hung a 13th banner under the arches of their arena, presented Dan with a special Hit jersey and other honors. It brought good luck - the season turned out to be for the Heath championship. The management was wise enough not to withdraw Marino's number from circulation, so the 13th issue of the Miami Heat Dolphins is out of competition.
10. Dick Barnett (# 12) - New York Knicks
The Knicks have a long and glorious history, but only the champions and Ewing received Madison numbers. And New York took the championship only in the 70s. It was then decided to honor Dick McGuire as well, and until then Ewing and 6 champion players were members of the exclusive Knickerbocker Hall of Fame. Six is too many? Barnett was certainly a flamboyant player, albeit not a Hall of Famer. But he came to the Knicks at 29 and spent just 7 full seasons, only got to the All-Star Game once and never led the team on any metric. At the same time, Karl Brown, a five-time all-star who chopped off for the team for 12 years, is left without a personal banner.
9. Larry Nance (# 22) - Cleveland Cavaliers
Nance is about the same story as Barnett. He played gloriously for Kavz, but only half a career, and was not drawn to superstar status. As a result, Cleveland, which until 2007 reached the conference finals only twice in history, has already withdrawn 6 issues from circulation. For comparison, LAL has only 7. It seems that if Hot Rod Williams had not had such a negative image, he would have been immortalized in the banner too - they are so attached to the players of that team in Cleveland that they lost to Jordan in 1989 and 1992.
8. Earl Monroe (# 10) - Washington Wizards
I really love Earl Monroe. He ranks among the 100 Greatest Basketball Players in History in my opinion, and the Knicks Fraser-Monroe backcourt is one of my favorite historical player mixes. But Earl has two immortalized numbers. The number in New York is easy to understand - 9 years old, the championship, the status of a legend, and so on. But the Wizards? Firstly, the team has already moved and even changed the name - Monroe played for the Baltimore Bullets. Secondly, he only played 4 seasons. Third, he certainly helped the Anseld-Johnson team reach the final in 1971, but was traded to the Knicks after that season. So all of his accomplishments at Bullets are two cost centers and a rookie of the year title. Is it for this that they automatically give an immortalized number?
7. Bob Lanier (# 16) - Milwaukee Bucks
Another great player who received a second, less honored banner to one well-deserved banner. Lanier at Milwaukee was already quite old and not as stellar as at Detroit, and the leaders of the team were Marquis Johnson (no banner), Moncrief and Dandridge. Undoubtedly, excellent leadership and helpful community service contributed to the fact that Lanir's number was withdrawn from circulation in the Bucks. But he played 323 games for the team, and Paul Pressy - 648. Twice as many, and there was no talk of an immortalized number.
6. Walter Brown (# 1), Red Auerbach (# 2) - Boston Celtics; Chuck Daly (# 2) - Detroit Pistons; Larry Weinberg (# 1) - Portland Trail Blazers *; Frank Layden (# 1), Larry Miller (# 9) - Utah Jazz
There is nothing wrong with perpetuating coaches, managers, owners. But to reserve game numbers for them is an overkill. After all, they never went to the site under the number "1" or "2" or "9". And they didn't even wear these numbers on their jackets. As a result, many players had to abandon the usual number on their uniforms, not because some great player played under it, but because the coach or owner was assigned this number. Why a unit? Why not "64", not "22" or not "01"? Portland twice came up with a good solution - the number 77 was attached to the coach of the 1977 championship team, Jack Ramsey - almost no one in the NBA wears it anyway, it does not bother anyone. And although Weinberg was assigned a "one", the owner, by his decision, allows the players to wear this number. But Portland has its own cockroaches, we'll talk about them later ...
5. Nate Thurmond (# 42) - Cleveland Cavaliers
If the cases with Nance, Monroe, Lanir still have a basis for reasonable explanations, then it is not clear what caused the management to perpetuate Thurmond's number. He played a little over a hundred games for the team, was a reservist and went out for 20 minutes per match on average. He did not take any awards at Kavz - all the glory came to him at the Warriors, for which he played for 11 years. Thurmond is a great basketball player. But he's not a great Cavalier. His greatness has nothing to do with Cleveland - after all, in the same way it would be possible to immortalize Shaquille O'Neal's number in the "Caucasus".
4. Doug Moe (# 432) - Denver Nuggets; Slick Leonard (# 529) - Indiana Pacers; Red Holtzman (# 613) - New York Knicks; Cotton Fitzsimmons (# 832) - Phoenix Suns
An even more foolish idea than immortalizing the number 1 in honor of the coach is the tendency to "retire" the number of the number of victories of the coach at the head of the team. For starters, it's always a three-digit number (unless you're Jerry Sloan, and if no one wants to immortalize John Kuester's number), and three-digit game numbers are not used in the NBA - so what's the point of removing them from circulation if they don't apply? In addition, for some reason, only victories in the regular season are taken into account, although victories in VP are primarily valuable. The Phoenixes decided to take all 832 of Fitzsimmons' victories by incorporating his seasons in Atlanta, Buffalo, Kansas and San Antonio, thus incorporating the history of other teams into their own.
3. Pete Maravich (# 7) - New Orlins Hornets
Maravich is a Louisiana legend. He became her back in college, playing for Louisiana State University; he later played in the NBA in New Orleans for the Jazz. His memory is honored in the city and state. But he never played for the Hornets! The Great Pete passed away even before the founding of the Charlotte Hornets, let alone the New Orlins Hornets. His merits in the NBA are honored along with the number "Jazz", his merits in the region - along with the number LSU Tigers, so the Hornets did not make sense - Maravich did not play for the franchise, and for some reason the number was withdrawn from circulation.
2. Dave Twardzik (# 13), Lionel Hollins (# 14), Larry Steele (# 15), Maurice Lucas (# 20), Bob Gross (# 30), Lloyd Neal (# 36) - Portland Trail Blazers
Lucas may deserve consideration as a candidate for a Portland room, but everyone else is definitely not. Of the six, these 1977 Blazers team members averaged 5.5 seasons per team. Apart from Lucas, only Hollins made it to the All-Star Game once. At the same time, players such as Kersey, Robinson, Duckworth, who have reached the final twice, and Jim Paxon have 5 MVPs for four and 9 seasons at Portland on average - with comparable statistics to the "immortalized" numbers - but their numbers nobody deduces. It is stupid to carve in stone (in this case, in a synthetic banner) a champion team in its entirety, no matter how bright it is. After all, there may be a team no less bright, like Portland of the late 80s - early 90s, which will not be enough to reach the title, but under the arches of Rose Garden there will be number 36 of the reserve Neal, and not number 3 of the bright Clifford Robinson.
Yes, this is another ranking in which Michael is ranked first. "For services to basketball" "Hit" decided to immortalize the 23rd number of Michael Jordan. The one who did not play for the team, was not in the management of the club, is not related to the owner of the team - in general, he has no special relation to "Hit". Michael is great, no doubt about it. But the league has repeatedly stated that it is not going to withdraw "23" from circulation in the NBA, as "42" in baseball or "99" in hockey, since it is not the league's business to perpetuate the numbers, let the teams do it themselves. And "Hit" decided that "23" is a sacred basketball number. And now "6", "13", "32", "33" look a little offended at all this disgrace.
One of the best players on the planet, LeBron James, returned to Cleveland, took the jersey with the number "23", which made the legendary Michael Jordan. This event gave Sportbox.ru a reason to remember the most famous and lucky numbers in the history of the NBA.
Selecting an athlete's number is far from a routine process, and the number on a jersey is not just a serial number. For many, it is a talisman, a ritual, a symbol of good luck and sometimes even an indispensable condition for physical comfort. Take the famous story when Dennis Rodman moved from the Lakers to the Mavericks. One of the indispensable conditions for the "worm" was the issuance of the 69th number to him, since it was this combination of numbers that directly correlated with the basketball player's favorite intimate pose.
What can I say, a Rodman-style statement, heavily mixed with shocking and generously seasoned with the desire to attract attention. But then natural fuss broke out from this. NBA commissioner David Stern categorically forbade the club to comply with Rodman's condition. In the end, the player with a creak moved to Dallas, where he played only 12 matches in a shirt with a 70th number, after which he went on strike and was expelled from the team.
Or else, the famous Gilbert Arinas, took a "0" in spite of one particularly zealous forecaster, who said that he would spend exactly that many minutes on the court in NBA matches. After Gilbert became the most progressive player in the league and went to the All-Star Games three times, the chased adage “From Zero to Hero” became his credo. It is a pity that then he soon rushed in the opposite direction - From Hero to Zero, along the way putting feces into his partners' sneakers, changing clubs, game numbers, and losing the respect of colleagues and fans.
In a word, everyone has their own cockroaches in their heads, and everyone wants to personify their choice, and not just poke a finger at the first number they come across. Some strive to resemble their idols, others manage to encrypt the grandmother's year of birth in the numbers on the T-shirt. I knew a guy who, with manic pedantry, chose extremely single-digit numbers only because he physically felt that with a one on his back it was easier for him to run than with a bulky twenty.
And yet, despite all these confusing meanings and many options, basketball has its own sacred numbers that evoke awe and awe. Those who most often take on luck, believing that they will bring good luck, like their past eminent owners. Sportbox.ru counted to five and chose the most popular, demanded, finally, lucky numbers in the NBA.
№ 23
Facts: The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is 23 times brighter than the Sun. Arnold Schwarzenegger won his first Mr. Olympia title at the age of 23.
There are 23 joints in the human hand. And we all know the man and his hand very well, thanks to which this number is considered one of the most popular not only in basketball, but also in sports in general. Through his career, life and achievements, Michael Jordan has achieved that the mention of this figure brings to mind the image of a black, stately athlete who, sticking out his tongue, despite any obstacles, ignores any obstacles and makes the very last effort that leads his team to final success.
LeBron James, who was transferring at one time to Miami, renounced number 23, saying that only one person can wear it, and everyone who respects and understands basketball should be aware of this. True, James himself is a fickle man and, returning to Cleveland, he decided to provoke the fans by arranging a vote on the topic, to play him under the 6th or 23rd number. It turned out that according to James himself, the fans of the Cavaliers do not understand basketball very well, and from the new season LeBron will pursue the legend of Jordan, copying his number.
Who knows, maybe it will come down to the manner of the game, it is not for nothing that American newspapers focus so much on the fact that James has lost a lot of weight, abandoned a carbohydrate diet and hopes to give his style more plasticity. Long before Jordan and James, famous Rockets point guard Calvin Murphy played under this number. The 175-centimeter baby, although he did not win the championship, became the shortest player to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Last week, similarly honored sniper Mitch Richmond bolstered the number's popularity by playing under him at the Golden State Warriors with Tim Hardway and Chris Mullen.
In the early 2000s, as part of the same club, Jason Richardson made him remember about Jordan, and he did this not only by means of analogies with the number. Like His Air, he impressed with his anti-gravity abilities, winning twice in overhead throwing tournaments. Now the new history of the NBA in the "New Orleans Pelicans" under the old numbering is being written by center Anthony Davis. And yet, no matter how many names are named, the cumulative achievements of the players are not listed, the magic sequence "23" will always be considered as such thanks to only one person.
№ 1
Facts: The atomic number of hydrogen, the main chemical element in the universe. In ancient China, the number 1 was a symbol of the masculine principle. Number 1 is the head of the family of numbers.
Actually, this meager unit is the main principle of sport. That for which all these efforts, limitations, hard work is to be the first. That which is the essence of sport in its original form. All other meanings like the beauty of the game, the fairness of the result, the triumph of the vanquished have stuck over the years. First of all, you are number one and you are the best. And this sniper accurately reflects the fact that Oscar Robertson, who played in the distant 60s, may not be the first, but definitely the best basketball player who wore this number.
Mr. Triple-Double in person, in the 1961/62 season Robertson achieved 30 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists per game on average. In 79 games, Robertson made 41 triple-doubles. Throughout his career, 181. He is still the only one who succeeded. And it is very likely that these two records will never be broken. It was "Big O" who mentored Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. when he entered the league. Together they won the only championship in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks, and then the newcomer became one of the benchmarks for centers, already playing under the name of Karim Abdul-Jabbar.
NBA Hall of Famer and one of the best point guards of the 70s, Nate Archibald, has changed numbers throughout his career, but it is the unit that is withdrawn from circulation by the Sacramento Kings, in which he spent his best years. It is written for declarers to wear one, simply based on the position number. The beloved Muggsy Boggs and the often underestimated Rod Strickland diligently confirmed this in the 90s. And yet they could not compete in popularity with the one who was called point guard of the new formation - Anferni Hardway.
It was to him that the concepts of point-forward and combination guards were first applied. With a two-meter height, he saw the court perfectly, and passed no worse and more spectacularly than his point guard Darrell Armstrong. Penny failed to realize until the end, as did Tracy McGrady, who took the first number in honor of him. Also No. 1, also Orlando Magic, and also an abundance of career-ruining injuries. It is not easy to be the first, and the examples of Derrick Rose and Amara Stoudmeier confirm a sad trend today, but if it were otherwise, the very concept of victory, for which many are ready to give everything, would be distorted.
№ 32
Facts: 32 teeth in an adult. 32 in the Pythagorean tradition is a symbol of justice. May 32 - a fictitious date from the movie "The Same Munchausen".
As in the case of Jordan, in basketball, the belonging of the thirty-second number is obvious. Magic Johnson was the only one who at one time could compete with Jordan in popularity. His playing was distinctive, his manner was recognizable, and the results were phenomenal. Unlike Michael, the Lakers point guard has never changed his number in his career.
Just like one of the nemesis of all of California, the representative of the hated Celtics, Kevin McHale. The unyielding heavy forward had one of the broadest arsenals of movement. It was impossible to predict what he would do in the next second. Slightly less variable, but by no means less effective was another heavy weight. The Merited Postman of All Marmons Karl Malone spent most of his career under the “32” label, under which he also opposed the HIV-infected Magic, and in his old age ended up in the Lakers, where, due to the withdrawn from circulation of Johnson's number, he was forced to be content with paired units.
Today, there are other times, different morals, especially in Los Angeles, and now in the Clippers, Blake Griffin shines again in the position of the fourth number, who, in addition to those already mentioned, continues the work of Billy Cunningham of the times of the Sixers, Jerry Lucas when he was a nix and Shaquille O'Neill at Orlando.
№ 13
Facts: The number 13, the devil's dozen, is considered unlucky in European culture. Initially, the United States consisted of 13 states. In the Russian military aviation there are no aircraft with tail number 13, as well as callsigns with this number. At the same time, during the Great Patriotic War, the hero-pilot Pokryshkin fought under number 13 with the call sign 13.
In general, even at the level of facts, it is clear that this number is different for everyone. Someone is afraid of him like fire, while others, on the contrary, believe that challenging prejudices, they themselves take the threads of fate in their hands. But how do not treat the number 13, all the same from time to time it throws up reasons to think.
Paul George, at the end of a great season at Indiana, decided out of respect for Kobe Bryant to drop No. 24 and replace it with 13th. George will miss the next season due to a horrible injury at the national team's training camp. But athletes are by nature gambling and love to tickle their nerves. Therefore, judge for yourself, the greats of the past Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone transferred their disdain for superstitious ditties to Mark Jackson, Sharunas Marchiulionis, and those, in turn, to Steve Nash, Joaquim Noah, James Harden.
Wilt and Moses became champions and will forever be part of the pantheon of the best bigs in basketball history. Jackson and Nash are among the best passers in the NBA, and Marciulionis revolutionized the legionnaire in American basketball. Noah and Harden are the stars of the current generation. So, in the case of No. 13, it is either even or odd, as in the case of luck, without which, as you know, not a single victory can do.
№ 33
Facts: 33 is the age at which Jesus Christ was crucified. There are 33 main demigods in the Hindu Vedas. 33 cows.
If we want to collect the symbolic five of the best players in the history of the NBA, from the basketball players who played under No. 33, then it will not be very different from some others not limited by such a condition. Problems will arise only with the point guard. With all due respect to Sharunas Yasikevicius, it is difficult to write him down among those who were enchanting in the NBA. Otherwise, Front Line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning. Back Line: Larry Bird, David Thompson, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill. Only # 32 can compete in the number of great players wearing a repeating three-piece jersey, and even then with difficulty.
Throughout the 90s it was the most popular number in the NBA, but now the players take it less willingly. Either they are afraid not to withstand comparisons with the giants, or they are trying to bend their own line. Of the more or less noticeable, now playing under the 33rd number, one can only name Mark Gasol, and even with a stretch of Ryan Anderson. Otherwise, the triplets that duplicate each other are the fiefdom of the giants who forever inscribed their name in the history of the NBA.
