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The history, stories, rivalries, and cultural impact of basketball around the world.
Clyde Drexler spent twelve seasons as the face of Portland basketball — ten All-Star appearances, two NBA Finals runs, and a Hall of Fame career that defined what it meant to be a Trail Blazer. Here's why #22 belongs in the rafters.
Bill Walton's 1977 NBA Finals performance — 19.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 8 blocks per game — remains the most dominant individual championship series in Portland history. Here's why #32 belongs in the rafters forever.
Dick Van Arsdale was the very first Phoenix Sun — selected in the 1968 expansion draft that brought the franchise to life. His #5 honors the player who gave the organization its identity.
Alvan Adams spent every one of his 13 NBA seasons as a Phoenix Sun. The 1976 Rookie of the Year and Finals participant gave the franchise something rare: a player who never left.
Connie Hawkins was kept out of the NBA for eight years by a wrongful banishment. When he finally arrived in Phoenix at age 27, he still made four All-Star teams. The full story of #42.
Paul Westphal is the only figure in Suns history who led the franchise to the Finals both as a player and as a head coach. His #44 honors a contribution that spans two defining eras.
"Thunder Dan" Majerle was a three-time All-Star and the Suns' most electrifying two-way wing of the 1990s. His #9 represents the warrior spirit of Phoenix's greatest era.
Kevin Johnson spent 12 seasons as the Suns' franchise point guard, earning three All-Star selections and leading Phoenix to the 1993 Finals alongside Charles Barkley.
Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in a Suns uniform and built the most influential offensive system in modern NBA history. Why #13 belongs in the Footprint Center rafters forever.
Doug Moe won 432 games as Denver Nuggets head coach — more than any other coach in franchise history. His run-and-gun philosophy turned Denver into one of the most exciting teams in the NBA and defined what Nuggets basketball looked like for a generation. Here is why the franchise honored him with a retired number.
Charles Barkley spent only four seasons in Phoenix, but he transformed the franchise forever. His 1993 MVP season and Finals run remain the defining chapter in Suns history.
Dikembe Mutombo came to Denver from Kinshasa, Congo, became the best shot-blocker on the planet, and changed basketball history with a single finger. Here is why #55 belongs in the rafters — and why his story is bigger than the game.
Dan Issel scored 27,482 professional points, served as player, coach, and GM for the same franchise, and earned the Hall of Fame on pure relentless production. Here is why #44 belongs in the Ball Arena rafters.
Before there were championships, before there were legends, there was Byron Beck — the first player ever signed by the Denver Nuggets franchise, who wore the jersey for ten straight years. Here is why #40 belongs in the rafters.
Before Michael Jordan, many considered David Thompson the most gifted shooting guard the sport had ever seen. His 44-inch vertical leap, his 73-point game, and his 1974 national championship defined an era — and why #33 belongs in the Ball Arena rafters.
Alex English scored more points than anyone else in the NBA during the 1980s — and did it in Denver, quietly, brilliantly, with a consistency that defined an era. Here is why #2 belongs in the rafters forever.
Rudy Tomjanovich gave the Houston Rockets 34 years — 11 as a player, 11 as a scout and assistant, and 12 as head coach. He survived a punch that nearly killed him, rebuilt his career, and then led Houston to back-to-back championships. No number in franchise history represents more.
Moses Malone went straight from high school to the ABA and became the greatest offensive rebounder in basketball history. His four seasons in Houston established him as a franchise cornerstone and one of the most dominant big men the game has ever seen.
Calvin Murphy stood 5'9" and was the smallest player in the NBA for much of his career — and one of the toughest, fastest, and most skilled guards the league has ever seen. He spent his entire 13-year career with Houston and remains one of the most beloved Rockets of all time.
Clyde Drexler returned home to Houston at the peak of his career and helped the Rockets win the 1995 NBA championship. A Hall of Famer who grew up in Houston and starred at the University of Houston, Clyde the Glide gave the city its greatest homecoming story.
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