The Inexact Science of NBA Jersey Retirements

A look at the inconsistent way that our favorite teams honor their greatest players

The way that we immortalize athletes is always a sticky subject. We see this on an annual basis when players are voted into the Hall of Fame in their respective sports. There is a constant back and forth of who is deserving and whose accolades mean more. Speaking for the sport of basketball specifically, there is another level of enshrinement: having your jersey retired. This is the ultimate nod from a franchise to a player as a thank-you for everything that they gave the team and the city. That the levels of greatness achieved by that player are so high that it feels disrespectful to have another player wear that number in the future.

The merits of enshrining a player’s number in the rafters have come up recently when Cavs forward Kevin Love was asked if the franchise should retire Kyrie Irving’s jersey after he retires. To Love the answer was simple: he hit the biggest shot in franchise history and one of the most iconic NBA Finals shots ever so he should be immortalized by the Cavaliers. But many hold the guard’s exit from Cleveland to Boston and eventually Brooklyn against him. This moment led me to wonder, what are the prerequisites, if any, to have your jersey retired by a team? Does tenure matter? Or is it just a gut feeling from ownership and the fan…