KU basketball has so many retired jerseys that the numbers are not honestly retired; as an alternative handiest, the specific jerseys are enshrined even as cutting-edge players recycle the famous numbers. If it had been now not for this technique of reusing numbers after the corresponding jerseys had been retired, a program steeped in as a good deal tradition as the University of Kansas could run the hazard of truly walking out of numbers to outfit their current roster.

The program, which performed its first season in the 19th century (1898) beneath head educate Doctor James Naismith (the inventor of the game of basketball), has skilled such remarkable success over time that as of February 2010, twenty-six (26) jerseys had been retired. While individually going through and scrutinizing every unmarried retired jersey is past the scope of this newsletter, it is correct to say that the gambit of enshrined jerseys spans from the curious variety 0 (Doc Gooden) to number 60 (Max Falkenstein – a radio announcer).

Max Falkenstein is honored to be the best non-participant on the list of retired jersey numbers. Mr. Falkstein, a 1948 graduate of KU, is credited with founding the KU Sports Network and serving an illustrious sixty yr career (therefore the retired quantity 60) behind a microphone in which he blanketed over 1,750 basketball video games and 650 football video games – desirous about Kansas. Each retired jersey hangs proudly within the Lawrence, Kansas basketball area known as Allen Field House (named after the famed former head train “Phog” Allen).

The names that might be considered the nicest regarded amongst the list of retired KU basketball jersey numbers are Wilt Chamberlain (thirteen) and Paul Pierce (34). Pierce is a celebrity participant and NBA Champion for the historic Boston Celtics NBA franchise. Based on the game’s records, Wilt Chamberlain is considered a satisfactory basketball player. Even lovers who argue that Chamberlain did not win the championships that Bill Russell did or have the athleticism of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant can agree that Wilt Chamberlain pulled a generation, not as everybody else has ever done.

While the parameters for having jerseys retired vary from group to group and sport to sport, the hints at KU are truthful. The take a look at usually entails carrying out at least one of the following achievements:

Being named National Players of the Year by way of either the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Associated Press (AP), or the Sporting News
Being the winning recipient of either the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, or the Oscar Robertson Trophy
Being named a consensus All-American, the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, Academic All-American of the Year, or a two-time first-team All-American.
These suggestions are simply that—pointers. While those metrics function as the general prerequisites, they are in no way carved in stone and are subject to the discretion of the University of Kansas administration.
Given the pace of KU basketball retired jersey numbers and the rule that current gamers can wear retired jersey numbers, there is a decent threat that sometimes, in the coming years, the University of Kansas will have to cope with having an equal jersey range retired by using one-of-a-kind gamers.

Sam enjoys discussing historic university basketball icons and reveals it is fun to position up photographs of his favorite pro athletes from once they were playing college ball. In the instances of Wilt Chamberlain and Paul Pierce, those pictures are displayed as KU wallpaper [http://www.Universitywallpaper.Com/2010/01/university-of-kansas-wallpaper.Html] on his computer display screen.