Jazz by the Numbers, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of Jazz by the Numbers, where we take a stroll down memory lane to recognize the best players to wear each uniform number for the Jazz. Earlier this summer we covered 00 through 24 and today we continue on, from 25 to 99.

This might be a good time to point out that there are quite a few uniform numbers that have never been used by a Jazz player. The most notable number never to be worn by a Jazzman is the 1. It is among the most popular numbers in the NBA, but no Jazz player wore that number before it was formally retired in honor of longtime Jazz coach and executive Frank Layden on December 9, 1988. No player has ever worn #1 for the Jazz and no player ever will.

There have been Jazz players who wore every number 2 through 27 but there has never been a 28, 29, 36, 37, 38, 46, 48 or 49. Remarkably, every number between 50-55 has been worn by Jazz players, but only two numbers over 55 have ever been worn: 81 by Miye Oni this season and 99 by Jae Crowder.

Now, on to the rest of the show.

25 – Al Jefferson

Big Al

There have been a few memorable 25s in Jazz history, the most recent of whom was Raul Neto. Among other 25s, I will never fully recover from the disaster that was the Gail Goodrich signing, even if it happened before I was born and before the struggling New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah. The franchise had no pre-warning that they would be excessively punished in the form of owing two firsts (one of which was used to select Magic Johnson) and a second to the Lakers for having the audacity to sign a free agent away from the league’s marquee franchise.

Despite the notability of others who have worn the number, there is little doubt that Big Al Jefferson made the biggest impact on the floor of any player to wear 25 for the Jazz. While his three seasons with the Jazz were not the brightest in the squad’s history, Al started every game he played for the Jazz and averaged a solid 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his time in Utah.

26 – Kyle Korver

So nice they traded for him twice

Only Kyle Korver and John Amaechi ever wore 26 for the Jazz and between the two, the choice is not difficult. Korver made a big impact with the Jazz when he was acquired from the 76ers in exchange for Gordan Giriček and a 2010 first (that was used to draft future Jazzman Trevor Booker, interestingly enough). While he never had a starting role, he was an important rotational player for the Jazz in his initial 3-season stint.

After years with several other teams, including earning an All-Star bid with the Hawks in 2015, the Jazz traded Alec Burks and a 2nd round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring Kyle back for a much needed boost off the bench last year.

27 – Rudy Gobert

Stifle Tower, Gobzilla, French Rejection

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-NBA and one-time All-Star, Rudy Gobert would probably be the best 27 in Jazz history even if he weren’t the only player ever to wear the number for the Jazz. Rudy reportedly chose the number as a reminder of his draft position and the 26 NBA teams who chose to draft somebody else ahead of him. Rudy plays with a giant chip on his shoulder and, considering that he has accomplished more than any other player in his draft class not named Giannis, he has good reason. The best center in Utah Jazz history is also the best 27.

30 – Blue Edwards

Blue had two stints in Utah, too.

Joining Kyle Korver, David Benoit and Raja Bell as players to have multiple stints with the Jazz, Theodore “Blue” Edwards was the starting small forward for the Jazz from 1989-90 to 1991-92 before being traded to the Bucks for Jay Humphries and current University of Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak.

Remarkably, only a few years later the Jazz soured on the Jay Humphries experiment enough that they traded Humphries and a second to the Celtics to bring Blue back to Utah in what has to be rare occurrence of the same two players being traded for one another in separate trades. No longer a starter, Blue nonetheless was an important rotation piece for the Jazz for the remainder of the 1995 season before the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies selected him in the expansion draft that offseason.

Honorable mentions go to Carlos Arroyo and Steph Curry’s dad.

31 – Adam Keefe

Keefe was a role player for Utah’s Finals runs.

The Mini-van Georges Niang will have to bide his time if he wants to rise to the top of players who have worn 31 for the Jazz, as Adam Keefe holds that position for now. Keefe never put up the best numbers but he was a rotation player through much of the 90s, including with both Finals teams. Keefe spent six of his nine years in the NBA with the Jazz after the Hawks traded him in exchange for future Jazz coach Ty Corbin. Keefe ended up being traded to the Warriors in 2000 in a massive 4-team trade that saw the Jazz trade away Keefe, Howard Eisley and future first to acquire Donyell Marshall.

32 – Karl Malone

One of the greatest power forwards ever.

The only MVP in franchise history. The 2nd leading scorer in NBA history. Jersey in the rafters, name in the hall, statue at the arena. With all due respect to John Brown, the only other player ever to wear 32 for the Jazz, the Mailman is the only choice here.

Together with John Stockton and legendary coach Jerry Sloan, Karl Malone led the Jazz to the highest heights the franchise has ever reached as they faced Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. I’ll never forgive Dick Bavetta for his malfeasance.

In a recent poll, SBNation readers voted the 64-win 1997 Utah Jazz led by Malone and Stockton as the best team never to win an NBA title. It would be really nice to see another Jazz team defeat the Clippers, Lakers and Rockets in the playoffs on the way to the NBA Finals. Just saying…

33 – Trevor Booker

Booker’s heart endeared him to fans.

Boris Diaw is one of my all-time favorite players and even if he had little impact on the court for the Jazz in his brief time with the team, I’m personally tempted to name him here. But as with so many fans, I also love Trevor Booker and he won the popular vote here. 

In his two seasons as a rotation player for the Jazz, Booker’s most memorable moment has to be hitting this trick shot against the Thunder in 2015 with essentially no time remaining on the shot clock. Honorable mention to the plus/minus god, Ekpe Udoh.

34 – C.J. Miles

Miles came straight from his Texas high school to the Jazz.

While eight players have worn 34 for the Jazz, this really ends up being a two-way race between long-time Jazzmen. Bryon Russell was a key member of the Jazz for nine years, including the two title runs, while C.J. Miles played seven years for the Jazz after being drafted with the 34th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. While Russell probably had the bigger impact on the team, he only wore 34 for his first 3 seasons before changing to the number 3. So, the top 34 in Jazz history goes to Mr. Miles. 

After his years in Utah, C.J. has spent time with the Cavs, Pacers, Grizzlies, Raptors and Wizards before being waived earlier this year. His longest home in the league was with the Jazz, where he was a full-time starter for the 2009 season.

35 – Darrell Griffith

“Golden Griff” was a star on the early-80s Jazz.

Before the Jazz rested their hopes on a young shooting guard out of Louisville in 2017, they drafted a young shooting guard out of Louisville in 1980. Dr. Dunkenstein went on to win the 1981 Rookie of the Year, the only player in Jazz history to be awarded with that honor. Griff spent ten years with the Jazz before seeing his jersey raised to the rafters.

The only other player to wear 35 for the Jazz was Ollie Johnson who played 45 games for the New Orleans Jazz in 1975.

39 – Greg Ostertag*

Tag makes our list twice!

I don’t like honoring players twice on this list for wearing different numbers but only 6 players in NBA history have ever worn 39 and, before Dwight Howard chose that number when he re-joined the Lakers this year, Ostertag was probably the best of them. As noted in part 1, Tag was an important part of the Jazz Finals teams in the 90s. During most of his years in Utah, Ostertag wore 00. For some reason I have been unable to discover¹, Ostertag chose to change his number from 00 to 39 for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Beginning with the 2002 season until he finished his time in Utah, he returned to 00.

So, anyway, Ostertag – the best and only 39 in Jazz history and the former best 39 in NBA history. He must have been so disappointed when Dwight took his number.

40 – Shandon Anderson

Another 90s-era rotation guy.

Several players who wore 40 for the Jazz made a big enough impact for the team that they were given consideration here. Mike Brown played an important and memorable rotational role for the Jazz for 5 seasons in the early 90s. More recently, Jeremy Evans spent five seasons with the Jazz playing mostly spot minutes but memorably winning the 2012 NBA dunk contest.

Despite some memorable times with both Brown and Evans, the honor here goes to Shandon Anderson. Anderson only spent three seasons with the Jazz but earned a spot in the rotation as a rookie on the 1997 Finals team and increased his minutes as Jeff Hornacek’s back-up in each of the following seasons. Following the lockout shortened 1999 season, Anderson chose to sign with the Rockets as a free agent.

41 – Thurl Bailey

Bailey was a major scorer, topping out at 19 points per game.

Before he was a regular in the commentary booth for the Jazz, Big T was a major contributor to Jazz teams in the 80s and early 90s. Thurl spent the majority of his NBA career with the Jazz after being drafted 7th overall in 1983 before he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ty Corbin. So, in a sense, Thurl Bailey helped bring the Ty Corbin era.

After a few seasons with the Timberwolves, Bailey played professionally overseas before returning to Utah toward the end of the 1999 season then retiring.

Bailey is really the only player worth considering for the top 41 in Jazz history. Other players to wear 41 include Kosta Koufos and Trey Lyles.

42 – Donyell Marshall

The Jazz acquired Marshall to try and extend Malone’s and Stockton’s window.

Only four players have ever worn 42 for the Jazz and Donyell Marshall’s impact in his two short seasons with the team stands above the other 3. Marshall averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Jazz, mostly as a starter. Although he was only with the Jazz a short time, I still remember him fondly. After his playing days, Marshall moved on to a coaching career; he is currently coaching college ball for the Central Connecticut Blue Devils.

The other 42s in Jazz history are current University of Utah head coach, Larry Krystkowiak who came off the bench for the Jazz in the 1991-92 season and the late-career versions of Tom Gugliotta and Tom Chambers, both well removed from their prior All-Star days by the time they joined the Jazz.

43 – Kris Humphries

The Jazz’s had never selected in the current version of the NBA Draft Lottery until they grabbed Humphries in 2004.

None of the players who have worn 43 for the Jazz have accomplished much while with the Jazz (they all averaged less than five points per game in Utah). I’m going to give the nod here to Kris Humphries. The Jazz selected Humphries with the 14th pick in the 2004 NBA draft and he spent a couple unremarkable years with the Jazz before being sent to Toronto as part of a trade package for Rafael Araújo. Humphries went on to have a long and reasonably successful NBA career. His most memorable time in the NBA came while he was playing with the Nets and briefly married Kim Kardashian.

Among other 43s in Jazz history is former Grizzlies’ head coach Marc Iavaroni, who warmed the bench for the Jazz in the late 80s. 

44 – Bojan Bogdanovic

Bogey is already one of the best free agent signings the Jazz have ever scored.

Despite being in just his first season with the Jazz, I have little hesitation in naming Bojan Bogdanovic as the top 44 in team history. The only real competition comes from Pete Maravich, but the number 7 is on the jersey hanging in the rafters for Maravich. Because Maravich has already been honored as the best #7 in team history and because he only wore 44 with the Jazz for his first season in New Orleans, I can’t justify giving him the honor here. Another 44, Greg Foster, was an important role player for the late 90s title runs but, unless my memory fails me, Foster never hit two game winning 3s in the same season. Bogey wins. (That those game-winners came against the league-leading Bucks and rival Rockets only makes them sweeter.)

P.S. Kyrylo Fesenko forever.

45 – Donovan Mitchell

Didn’t take Mitchell long to claim the best #45 ever title.

All due respect to Mike Bibby’s dad and Chocolate Thunder, but this one is a no-brainer. Shortly after Gordon Hayward let the world know he was signing with the Celtics, the Jazz faced off against the Celtics in Summer League. Donovan poked the ball away from 2nd overall pick, Jayson Tatum and then faced him down after getting fouled on the breakaway. The very next play, he crossed Tatum over, found the open man and, if they weren’t already, Jazz fans were in love.

Mitchell’s scoring outbursts against the Nuggets this summer only show how high his ceiling can be. Hopefully his best years in a Jazz uniform are yet to come. 

47 – Andrei Kirilenko

The versatile, electric, enigmatic Kirilenko.

The only player to wear 47 would likely be the best player to wear 47 even if the number were more popular. AK-47 was a man before his time. A switchable defensive monster, Kirilenko was named to 3 All-Defensive teams during his ten seasons in Utah and was named to the All-Star team in 2004.

When Utah lucked into signing Carlos Boozer, it may have harmed AK’s ceiling as it pushed him to play the 3 instead of the 4. Nonetheless, Kirilenko had an incredible impact on the Jazz in the early to mid 2000s. If he played in today’s NBA you could imagine him fulfilling a role closer to the one that Draymond Green perfected with the Warriors.

50 – Felton Spencer

Fun fact: Spencer and former Jazz coach Frank Layden share a birthday.

Before there was Tag there was Felton Spencer. The Jazz sent Mike Brown to Minnesota in 1993 to bring back Spencer. Spencer was a serviceable starting center for 3 seasons in the mid-90s. Eventually traded for a package of players and a draft pick that would be used to select Andrei Kirilenko, Spencer’s time with the Jazz was brief but he was part of some good Jazz teams.

Other 50s in Jazz history include big men Ike Austin and “Gentle” Ben Poquette.

51 – Michael Ruffin

A dirty-work forward on Utah’s mid-2000s squad.

Michael Ruffin played 41 total games for the Jazz in 2004 averaging 2.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1 assist per game. He started 24 of those games and was helpful in the Jazz far outperforming expectations the year after Stockton left. The only other players to wear 51 for the Jazz were Carl Kilpatrick who played 2 games and 6 total minutes for the Jazz in 1980 and Aleksandar Radojević who made it to 3 games and 8 minutes in 2005.

52 – Bill Robinzine

Tragic ending for Robinzine.

Bill Robinzine was the most impactful 52 in Jazz history. He played mostly limited minutes for the Jazz during the 1981-82 season averaging 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and .9 assists in 11.6 minutes per game. During the season, then Jazz GM Frank Layden told him that he didn’t see a role for him with the Jazz and that he should focus on marketing his skills as a free agent in a reserve role.

Following a summer in which no NBA teams offered him a contract, the 29-year old sadly decided to end his own life.

53 – Mark Eaton

Eaton was a one-time All-Star.

Deciding which player to honor as the best to wear a number is a lot easier when that number has been retired in the player’s honor. Mark Eaton was a 2-time defensive player of the year, the only Jazzman to earn that honor until Gobert.

Eaton was a large man who specialized on one side of the court. The current NBA record holder for blocks in a season (456) and the record holder for most blocks-per-game (5.56) Eaton was a defensive beast who didn’t offer very much on the offensive side. Still, if the timing had been just a little bit different, one can imagine the Jazz with Eaton instead of Ostertag defeating the ’97 and ’98 Bulls.

54 – James Donaldson

Donaldson spent his twilight years with the Jazz.

Dukes Donaldson is best remembered for his 7 seasons in Dallas where he played well enough to earn himself an All-Star bid in 1988. The Jazz signed a 35-year-old Donaldson at the end of the 1993 season after Mark Eaton’s back shut him down for what would turn out to be the end of his career. At the time, Donaldson hadn’t played since being waived by the Knicks in March of 1992 and he only made 6 appearances for the Jazz.

Despite Eaton’s retirement, the 1993-94 Jazz didn’t have a place for Donaldson after trading for Felton Spencer and drafting Luther Wright out of Seton Hall. While Spencer found a place on the Jazz for the next several years, it was clear Wright was not going to work out early on and, after playing a year overseas, the Jazz signed a 37-year-old Donaldson to be their backup center before the 1994-95 season. Donaldson didn’t have much left in the tank and was cut in December of 1994.

Melvin Turpin and Mikki Moore also received consideration as the best 54 in Jazz history.

55 – Antoine Carr

Carr was an important part of the Finals runs.

The Big Dog was a much beloved role player on the 90s Jazz teams. A 6’9″ ‘tweener who had a hard time finding his place in the 90s’ NBA, Carr played multiple positions for the Jazz but primarily saw minutes as Malone’s backup. 

Full of personality and energy, Carr was never going to be the best player on the Jazz but his positive attitude made him a fan favorite. 

Former BYU standout Araujo also received a good portion of response from fans, but his one season with the Jazz was mostly unremarkable.

99 – JAE CROWDER

WHO DOESN”T LOVE THEM SOME JAE?

THE ONLY 99 IN JAZZ HISTORY IS ALSO THE BEST 99 IN JAZZ HISTORY! JAE IS MAKING WAVES CURRENTLY AS HE IS PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS FOR THE MIAMI HEAT. THE BOSSMAN WAS A RUMORED TRADE TARGET FOR THE JAZZ IN A POTENTIAL SIGN AND TRADE AFTER GORDON HAYWARD DECIDED TO SIGN WITH THE CELTICS. IT DIDN’T HAPPEN THEN, BUT THE JAZZ WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE HIM FROM THE CAVALIERS IN A LATER TRADE. HIS FATHER, COREY CROWDER, PLAYED FOR THE JAZZ IN THE EIGHTIES. THE JAZZ INCLUDED JAE IN THE TRADE PACKAGE FOR MIKE CONLEY AND THEY MISSED HIS LEADERSHIP AND PHYSICALITY THIS YEAR!!!