Basketball Numbers, 1978-2012 Return to TedSilary.com Home Page   For the Summer 2012 project, I'll be offering an opinion on the best basketball player to wear each uniform number in the 1978 to 2012 seasons.   This list will include players from the Public, Catholic and Inter-Ac leagues and we'll also do lists for football and baseball.   Updates to one of the three lists -- five numbers at a time; picked randomly -- will be made pretty much every day. If a really strong honoree for a specific number cannot be determined, we might leave that space blank.   Your comments will be posted at the bottom of the page for the sport you're referencing. Thanks for your interest.   -- Ted Silary . . . silaryt@phillynews.com.

Baseball list is here -- Football list is here.

***Number worn by the player in his senior season.***

Yellow background . . . players most recently added.

Smaller type . . . other strong contenders (maximum of three; must be listed on 35-year team)
These numbers illegal in basketball: 6-9, 16-19, 26-29, 36-39, 46-49, 56 and above.

0. almost no one has worn this
00. almost no one has worn this
1. ~-Rob Kurz, Penn Charter, '04 . . . (became a legal number only in recent years)
2. @-Marshall Taylor, West Catholic, '04 (became a legal number only in recent years)
3. *-Tyreek Duren, Neumann-Goretti, '10
4. Maalik Wayns, Roman, '09
5. *****Wilt Chamberlain, Overbrook, '55***** (special decision; we feel this number should be
retired in Phila. high school hoops!)
---
10. Maurice "Doo-Wop" Watson, Boys' Latin, '12
  (Mike Edelman, Haverford School, '78)
11. Kareem "Rab" Townes, Southern, '91
  (Michael Anderson, E&S, '84; Doug Overton, Dobbins, '87; Kyle Lowry, Dougherty, '04)
12. Aaron McKie, Gratz, '90
  (Tony Chennault, Neumann-Goretti, '10)
13. *-Eddie Malloy, O'Hara, '89
14. Lynn Greer, E&S, '97
  (Sean Singletary, Penn Charter '04; Randy Woods, Franklin, '88)
15. Reggie Jackson, Roman, '78
--
20. Chip Greenberg, La Salle, '82
  (Paul "Snoop" Graham, Franklin, '85)
21. Maurice "The Scorelord" Rice, Strawberry Mansion, '03
  (Horace "Pappy" Owens, Dobbins, '79; Tyrone "Braidheart" Garland, Bartram '10; Brian Grandieri, Malvern, '04)
22. Lionel Simmons, Southern, '86
  (Wayne Ellington, Episcopal, '06; Alvin Williams, Gtn. Academy, '93; Howard Evans, West Phila., '84)
23. *-Bradley Wanamaker, Roman, '07
24. Eric "Hank" Gathers, Dobbins, '85
  (Martin Ingelsby, Carroll, '97; Mark Zoller, SJ Prep, '03)
25. Clarence "Eggy" Tillman, West Philadelphia, '78
  (Rick Jackson, Neumann-Goretti, '07; Anthony Chennault, Frankford, '81)
--
30. Rasheed Wallace, Gratz, '93
  (Tony Costner, Overbrook, '80)
31. *-Petrick Sanders, Frankford, '96
32. Greg "Bo" Kimble, Dobbins, '85
  (#-Carlin Warley, Frankford, '89)
33. Eddie Griffin, Roman, '00
  (#-Brian Shorter, Gratz, '86; Tyrone Weeks, Franklin LC, '93; Marc Jackson, Roman, '93)
34. Faron "Meatball" Hand, Franklin LC, '92
35. Dallas Comegys, Roman, '83
  (Rodney Blake, Bonner, '83)
--
40. *-Lynard Stewart, Gratz, '94
41. *-Marcus Morris, Prep Charter, '07
42. Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, Franklin, '85
  (Donnie Carr, Roman, '96; Jason Lawson, Olney, '93; Eugene Burroughs, Episcopal, '90)
43. Gerald Henderson, Episcopal, '06
44. Matt Walsh, Gtn. Academy, '02
  (Steve Benton, Neumann, '85; Gary Duda, Malvern, '88)
45. Rasual Butler, Roman, '98
  (Bernard Jones, Roman, '91; Marty Campbell, Neumann, '80)
--
50. *-Wayne Marshall, King, '03
51. +-Eric Ervin, McDevitt, '84 . . . other suggestions being accepted at silaryt@phillynews.com.
52. *-Victor Thomas, Neumann, '97
53. Lonnie McFarlan, Roman, '80
54. Rico Washington, Franklin, '83
55. Mark Stevenson, Roman, '85

*-No members of 35-year team wore this number; 1st team All-City as senior.
#-Transferred to schools outside city after junior season.
+-Second team Daily News All-Catholic as senior.
~-Second team Daily News All-City as junior and senior.
@-Second team Daily News All-City as senior.