Hoops

Potential Future Jersey retirements

If Martin is a lock then maybe Wagstaff gets in too. Both are in there for more than stats. Neither got a free ride to those championships.

I like how North Carolina deals with Jersey retirements. They've honoured 51 players and retired 7 jersey numbers, with the following requirements for honoured players:

North Carolina requires that players must be recognized for excellence for their performance during the regular season, in post-season play, or in the Olympics. Specifically, a player's jersey qualifies for honoring if he receives one or more of the following five awards: first- or second-team All-America on one of the major All-American teams that qualify a player for a consensus All-American designation, an ACC Player of the Year, the Most Valuable Player of a National Championship-winning team (as voted by coaches and teammates), the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player of a Final Four team, or a gold medal in basketball at the Olympics.

For full retirement a player must win one or more of the following six national player of the year awards: Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Sporting News, John R. Wooden Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, or the Naismith College Player of the Year.

Getting that national player of the year in college would be harder than an MVP in NBL I believe, given the number of teams and players. But could nearly give a retired jersey for MVP in that scenario meaning Randle would qualify which would be controversial for some. But IMO Maher and Davis are the only true past legends of the club that deserve their numbers retired, unless you count historical players before sixers like Al, who had his best years before 6ers. But having guys like Ninnes, whilst a good player, was more a celebrated role player, shouldn't qualify for jersey retirement.

So my requirements for honoured player is First Team All NBL, DPOY, MVP, Finals MVP, 200/300 games(?) etc. Then as a retired number to have achieved outstanding performance over a set period of time, eg an MVP like Randle or Finals MVP like Brooks would have to have the 200 game minimum to qualify. And a player like Johnson having won awards including 5 club MVPs would qualify for it when he retires.

Jawai's greatest NBL achievement was in Perth.

You do it all the time, why can’t others?

Right, it's much better to just let people make up whatever shit they want.

The second tier is something I like. A good recognition of former players

D2.0, regarding contribution to the sport, I believe the Miami Heat retired MJ's number despite never having played for them. Why LBJ wore #6 whilst there.
Different league I know, but an example of (playing) contribution without ever suiting up for that particular team.

How were they running out of numbers with over 20 of them still available?

Maher is the last retire jersey worthy player for the 36ers - and deservedly that has been done.

In the foyer area/hallways of the Entertainment Centre they should (probably have already) recognise 36ers 'iconic' players throughout the years.

Iconic may be your stars like Brett Maher, or your crowd pleasers like Willie Farley, or your broader NBL stars like Cattalini, Rob Rose, or your 'icons' like Paul Rees.

DJ, with his multiple 36ers MVPs would fit right in.

Others to be celebrated would be Darnell Mee, KB etc.

Adelaide has awkwardly had a second tier of sorts - an honoured singlet but without retirement of the number. Ninnis was one. That might be the tier more fitting for DJ and some of the others originally mentioned.

Martin and Redhage in Perth seem obvious. Vukona and Abercrombie also. Not sure the rest make the 'retire singlet' cut without more success or longevity at a single club.

Could measure the second tier purely on games played and make it an NBL honour so it covers time with all clubs?

No-one at Cairns should have their jersey retired. Burned yes, retired no.

51 Jason Williams

I think Penney will be the next jersey to be retired in the NBL, couldn't find a more fitting player to have their number retired.

I'd like to see Perth retire #9 but would it be for Rogers or Knight, I'm not sure but I know Shaka Lo Buluk is wearing it now.

If RJ Hampton kills it in the NBA then will that impact Vukona having HIS #14 retired by NZ as they can sell Hampton jerseys beyond last season.

I'd retire DJ's jersey as you need to have some representation of your club and it will be some 20 years since Maher retired and you want your young fan base trying to identify with retired players somehow and who better than multiple All NBL'er and highest scorer since league went back to 40 minutes than DJ. Randle and Sobey surely won't.

Also GM above asked about a list for each club. I guess you skipped all of those posts.

... after kr said he didn't know about the other clubs other than Perth.

That's what I meant. I listed all of the retired numbers.

Perthworld
A couple of hours ago

Cairns:

80 Grabau

According to https://web.archive.org/web/20160912173858/http://andthefoul.net/NBLwiki/index.php?Sydney%20Kings :

The Sydney Kings once retired Shane Heals jersey but it has since been un-retired and the Kings have decided to have a 'Hall Of Legends' instead.

Cairns:

80 Grabau

Anyone know if all the player numbers are retired?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Kings#Wall_of_Legends

I know Melbourne have retired 10 and 21 despite McCarron and Ware wearing them every week.

Sydney retired 23 for Heal.

NZ 23 for Bruton and 32 for Henare. Is Boucher's 24 retired?

Illawarra:

4 Chuck Harmison
5 Gordie McLeod
12 Glen Saville
32 Mat Campbell
33 Melvin Thomas

Cairns:

80 Grabau

Brisbane:

7 Sengstock
22 Radliff
30 Leroy

Adelaide:
4 Darryl Pearce
5 Brett Maher
15 Al Green
33 Mark Davis

I wonder if Perth were waiting for Damo to retire so they could do him and Shawn together and keep an even number of retired jerseys. They hang half on either side of the championship banners at present.

Perth:
14 Fenton
6 Ellis
7 Crawford
30 Fisher
21 Vlahov
15 Grace

No idea about the other clubs. I know Melbourne have retired 10 and 21 despite McCarron and Ware wearing them every week. Sydney retired 23 for Heal. NZ 23 for Bruton and 32 for Henare. Is Boucher's 24 retired?

Is there a list of which jerseys are retired for each club?

Johnson no way. Hasn't achieved anything. No titles, no scoring records, no rebounding records. Good player but no.

D-Mac deserves his jersey retired. He player for the Giants, the Titans (who were mostly the Magic players, coaching staff and fans) and Tigers. United should honour him.

Is there a list of which jerseys are retired for each club?

Wagstaff is a no from me. Has the longevity but never reached the sort of peak that would warrant it - even if he was vastly better than Watterson.

Jawai is a lock for Cairns already I would say.

NZ just have to wait until Vukona retires/dies/rusts/is no longer supported by the manufacturer, and retire his jersey. It doesn't become complicated just because he finished up elsewhere.

Did he really have enough of an impact over a long enough period anywhere in the NBL? One year at Brisbane, out of the league for three years, a couple of years at Geelong, back to Brisbane for another couple of years, Perth for a couple of years, Hobart for a year or two...

There's guys like D-Mac who would absolutely have their jerseys retired were it not for their clubs folding, but I'm not sure Bruton even fits into that category.

I don't, I don't even know for sure that it exists.

But his contributions to the club as a non-player really aren't all that relevant to having his jersey retired. That's not what jersey retirement is for. If Nick Marvin or Jack Bendat had happened to have sat on the bench for one game at some point, would you retire their jerseys because of what they did as owner and CEO? Of course not.

Bruton's on-court achievements just aren't significant enough, nor did they occur over a long enough period, to warrant a jersey retirement. His off-court contributions may or may not warrant some other recognition - although even there he gets a lot of credit for things he had nothing to do with - but a jersey retirement isn't the right way to acknowledge that.

It doesn't puzzle me at all.

He only played three seasons. The Wildcats reportedly have a games-played minimum, and he doesn't meet it. Even if they didn't have a minimum, he still wasn't here for very long and doesn't belong up there with the rest of those jerseys.

Jersey retirements should remain for exceptional achievement and service.

Maher, Green and Davis for Adelaide all have MVPs, Grand Final MVPs, scoring record and multiple championships to their name. Davis and Maher only played for Adelaide. Maher turned down big money offers from elsewhere to stay loyal to Adelaide. All had long Adelaide careers.

All due respect to someone like Johnson but he is not on their level.

KB you can make more of a argument for. Two rings, with grand final MVP in 98. Still he did only play three seasons for the 36ers, one season for Hunter and one season for Sydney.

I would've said Adelaide, without really looking into his numbers.

I like the Anthony Stewart suggestion.


The Big Cat, Cattalini, is a funny one. Played at a number of clubs you wonder where he reckon she played his best basketball and contributed the most

I think we'll find Kevin White's next to Julius Hodge's

Adelaide
Kevin White

Im surprised Perth havent retired Redhage's jersey yet. Been a longer wait than I thought.

Maybe one thing going against him (possibly) is that he played alot of his best basketball during a time when the league was struggling on and off the court? Though I would think he more than deserves to be recognized.

For other clubs, I would consider the Kings retire Boguts jersey (not so much as a King) but for his contribution to basketball as an Australian over his whole career, for when he retires.

You can add Anthony Stewart to Cairns. Possibly even Martin Cattalini?

The Lightning have signed Amy Lewis and centre Nadeen Payne.

Rather than reeling from the loss of dual-league MVP Suzy Batkovic to Townsville, the Lightning have been busily retaining core players and now have Lewis and Payne to join Olympians Jenni Screen, Laura Hodges and Angela Marino.

Captain Jo Hill is considering her future and Adelaide also has offers in front of talented tyros Stephanie Talbot and Lauren Mansfield.