The Best Athlete to Wear Every Number

The number that an athlete wears on the back of their jersey seems like it would be just that - a number. But it is so much more than that. Some athletes wear numbers to pay tribute to other athletes, some to honor family members, and some because they have a chip on the shoulder that doesn't have a handgun holstered to it.

Still not as good as Shawn Marion

Whatever the reason, athletes become attached to their numbers. There are tons of stories of players moving to a new team and paying the current wearer of the number an outrageous sum for their coveted digits. Shit, Giants punter Jeff Feagles sold his number 10 to Eli Manning for a vacation in Florida, then sold his new number 17 to Plaxico Burress for an outdoor kitchen at his Arizona home!

Obviously, numbers are a big deal. And there are a hundred and one of them in sports, starting with 00 and ending with 99.

Want to know who was the best to ever wear a certain number? Scroll down.

00 - Robert Parish

0 - Shawn Marion

1. Ozzie Smith
2. Derek Jeter
3. Babe Ruth
4. Bobby Orr
5. Joe Dimaggio
6. Bill Russell
7. John Elway
8. Cal Ripken Jr
9. Ted Williams
10. (Tie) Pele and Diego Maradona
11. Mark Messier
12. Tom Brady
13. Wilt Chamberlain
14. Pete Rose
15. Bart Starr
16. Joe Montana
17. John Havlicek
18. Peyton Manning
19. Johnny Unitas
20. Barry Sanders
21. Roberto Clemente
22. Emmitt Smith
23. Michael Jordan
24. Willie Mays
25. Barry Bonds
26. Wade Boggs
27. Carlton Fisk
28. Marshall Faulk
29. Satchel Paige
30. Martin Brodeur
31. Greg Maddux
32. Magic Johnson
33. Larry Bird
34. Bo Jackson
35. Kevin Durant
36. Jerome Bettis
37. Shawn Alexander
38. Curt Schilling
39. Dominic Hasek
40. Gale Sayers
41. Tom Seaver
42. Jackie Robinson
43. Dennis Eckersley
44. Hank Aaron
45. Pedro Martinez
46. Andy Pettitte
47. Tom Glavine
48. Daryl "Moose" Johnston
49. Ron Guidry
50. Mike Singletary
51. Dick Butkus
52. Ray Lewis
53. Don Drysdale
54. Tedy Bruschi
55. Junior Seau
56. Lawrence Taylor
57. Francisco Rodriguez
58. Jack Lambert
59. Jack Ham
60. Otto Graham
61. Josh Beckett
62. Jim Langer
63. Gene Upshaw
64. Jerry Kramer
65. Elvin Bethea
66. Mario Lemeiux
67. Bob Keuchenberg
68. Jaromir Jagr
69. Mark Schlereth
70. Sam Huff
71. George Connor
72. Carlton Fisk (yes, he is the only player on this list to appear twice). 
73. John Hannah
74. Merlin Olsen
75. "Mean" Joe Green
76. Steve Hutchinson
77. Ray Borque
78. Bruce Smith
79. Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown
80. Jerry Rice
81. Dick "Night Train" Lane
82. Raymond Berry
83. Andre Reed
84. Randy Moss
85. Jack Youngblood
86. Hines Ward
87. Sidney Crosby
88. Mario Lemieux
89. Mike Ditka
90. Neil Smith
91. Sergei Fedorov
92. Reggie White
93. Doug Gilmour
94. Charles Haley
95. Richard Dent
96. Cortez Kennedy
97. Jeremy Roenick
98. Tony Siragusa
99. Wayne Gretzky