Is ’00’ a number? Take 10 and subtract 10… what do you get? You get ‘0’, not ’00’. So why is ’00’ considered a number? Easy.. Athletes wear it on their jerseys. That makes it a number. So, in honor this imaginary number being a number, we will look at the five best players to wear this number. Also, here’s a spoiler… it’s not just basketball players
There are criteria to this one. The first is that is has to be their primary number. So, Carmello Anthony wearing it for a season in Portland isn’t going to make the list. The second is that ‘0’ doesn’t count. That is a number for another article. So, no Gilbert Arenas in this list.
So, this list is not going to be a ‘who’s who’ of professional athletes. You’re going to see names you’ve likely never seen. This isn’t a cool number like ’33’ or ’32’ where you will be screaming that we left someone off. This list is going to introduce you told old school athletes that your dads or uncles talk about.
1. Robert Parish, Boston Celtics
Robert Parish wore this number for 21 seasons across four different teams. He even wore it at Centenary College in Louisiana. Parish wore it so well in Boston that they will never allow anyone else to wear it.
“The Chief”, as he was known in Boston, anchored some of the greatest teams in that franchises history. That’s saying a lot for a team with 17 NBA Championships. In fact, Parish was so solid at center that he got the nod over Bill Walton when the team signed him in ’86. He won three titles with the Celtics and a member of the first trio referred to as ‘The Big Three’. Parish was a staple of the franchises success in the 80’s alongside Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
The Chief wouldn’t make the list of top 5 centers in league history. He doesn’t stand out if you put him next names like Bill Russell, Shaquille O’Neal, or Hakeem Olajuwon. He is however the first name anyone in their thirties or beyond think of when they hear the number ’00’.
2. Jim Otto, Oakland Raiders
Not everyone on this list is a basketball player. Right behind the Chief is little known AFL star Jim Otto. He was able to wear the number up until 1973 when number standardization hit and made the number ineligible. So, I’m going to say that Otto’s first love was the double doughnut. That puts him on the list.
Otto played 15 seasons at center for the Raiders, never missing a snap. That’s 210 consecutive games. Had he not played a bulk of his career in the AFL, that puts him third on the list for lineman. He wasn’t just an iron man.
Otto shined at center. He made the AFL All Time Team, nine times he made the AFL All-Star team and won an AFL championship with the Raiders in 1967. Once they put him in the NFL, he still made their Pro Bowl three times. The icing on the cake.. Otto entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Once the NFL put number standardization into play, ’00’ was taken out of play. No player was able to wear it, making Otto stand out as the best football player of all time to wear ’00’.
3. Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
As a kid rom the 80’s, I only see one face when I think of the double 0, and that’s Robert Parish. Younger fans today might see Aaron Gordon. It isn’t just because it’s a number very few players choose, but it’s also because he was at one time one of the most recognizable players in the league. After all, when he thrilled fans in the dunk contest, he did so wearing the number.
However, today Gordon dropped ’00 and now goes with number 50. Did he lose his love for the number? Did he sell out and give up his unique number? Well, Denver rookie Markus Howard wore the number but he could demand it. It’s likely that Aaron just wanted a clean start with a new team and decided to go with number ’50.
4. Tony Delk, Kentucky Wildcats
Delk’s star didn’t shine terribly bright in the pros, but it was one of the brightest in college. He’s also seen his number go up in the rafter, but at Rupp Arena not the Boston Gardens. In fact, Delk wore ’00’ all through college and even in the NBA. The only stop he didn’t don the number was in the one place he couldn’t, Boston. He took number ‘7’ for the Celtics.
Delk’s professional career is nothing to scoff at. He averaged nearly 10 points a game, dropped 53 in a single game, and went on to win championships in Europe. He made the double doughnut proud. However, what put him two on the list was his time at Kentucky. That’s where Delk saw his greatest success.
Name an award and Delk won it. He earned SEC Player of the Year, All-American, and was named the NCAA Tournament’s most valuable player in 1996. The Wildcats when 34-2 that year en route to a National Championship. Delk was by far the anchor of that team and one of the greatest players in the rich history of Kentucky basketball.
5. Kevin Duckworth, Portland Trailblazers
Did you remember me saying that we would be mentioning old school players? Well, Kevin Duckworth is old school. First time I remember seeing Duckworth was on the ‘Bulls vs Lakers’ Sega Genesis game from 1991. Duckworth was on the Trailblazers in that game. Portland was Duckworth’s longest and best tenure in the NBA. In 1988, Duckworth averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 75% from the line.
His career wasn’t stellar, but compared to the other who wore the number, it puts him in the top five. Duckworth averaged double digits in scoring for the Blazers. In their best season, when they lost to the Bulls in the Finals, Duckworth started in 21 games and contributed significantly to the cause. That is good enough for me to put him on the list. Plus, I love the guys name!
So there you are. The best who wore ’00. It’s a difficult number to begin the list. Only 5 NBA players qualified and the list might be even shorter across other sports. In case you’re wondering who else wore the Double Deuce, the names were Benoit Benjamin and Kevin Duckworth. Good career, but just missed the cut. So, stay tuned as we explore new numbers and discuss new stories.
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