Who will be the final player to wear No. 6 in the NBA after it has been retired in honor of Bill Russell?
Who Will Be The Final Player To Wear No. 6: On Thursday, in honor of the great Bill Russell, the NBA took away his number from all players. As a result, no one will ever wear No. 6 again for the Sacramento Kings or the Orlando Magic.
No more No. 6 jerseys in the NBA
Actually, nobody was going to wear No. 6 for the Magic or Kings before this news came out. So both series took it out of play for “the sixth man” or their fans. This is the kind of thing you find out when you look into who wore the number most recently for each team and who might have worn it last in the whole league.
The NBA said in a press release that players who wear No. 6 next season “will be grandfathered.” A league representative said that if any of these players switch teams, they will still be able to wear No. 6.
This means that, for teams that haven’t already retired the number, you can’t say for sure that it will never be worn again. So, here are the last players for each team in the league to wear No. 6:
- Atlanta Hawks: Lou Williams, 2021-22
- Brooklyn Nets: David Duke Jr., 2021-present
- Boston Celtics: Bill Russell, 1956-1969
- Charlotte Hornets: Jalen McDaniels, 2019-present
- Chicago Bulls: Alex Caruso, 2021-present
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Moses Brown, 2022
- Dallas Mavericks: Kristaps Porzingis, 2019-22
- Denver Nuggets: DeAndre Jordan, 2022-present
- Detroit Pistons: Hamidou Diallo, 2021-present
- Golden State Warriors: Alen Smailagic, 2019-21
- Houston Rockets: Kenyon Martin Jr., 2020-present
- Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson, 2010-12; 2022
- Los Angeles Clippers: Moses Brown, 2022-present
- Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, 2021-present
- Memphis Grizzlies: Kenneth Lofton Jr., 2022-present
- Miami Heat: LeBron James, 2010-2014
- Milwaukee Bucks: Luca Vildoza, 2022-present
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Jordan McLaughlin, 2019-present
- New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrone Wallace, 2022
- New York Knicks: Quentin Grimes, 2021-present
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Jaylin Williams, 2022-present
- Orlando Magic: Patrick Ewing, 2001-02
- Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving, 1976-1987
- Phoenix Suns: Walter Davis, 1977-1988
- Portland Trail Blazers: Keon Johnson, 2022-present
- San Antonio Spurs: Avery Johnson, 1992-1993; 1994-2001
- Sacramento Kings: Bob Burrow, 1956-57
- Toronto Raptors: Cory Joseph, 2015-17
- Utah Jazz: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 2022-present
- Washington Wizards: Kristaps Porzingis, 2022-present
So, who could be the last NBA player to wear number 6? Five of the 16 players who wear it now (excluding Lou Williams and Stephenson and including Lofton) were born in the 2000s:
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (born Aug. 14, 2002)
- Jaylin Williams (born June 29, 2002)
- Keon Johnson: 20 (March 10, 2002)
- Kenyon Martin Jr (Jan. 6, 2001)
- Quentin Grimes (May 8, 2000)