Heat Honor Jordan; LBJ To Wear # 6?

by Chris Alvino on November 13th, 2009 at 12:56 am

Not sure if anyone caught the Heat – Cavs game tonight, but it was a special night in South Beach as the Heat organization decided to throw Michael Jordan’s #23 Bulls jersey up in the rafters.

Also, in an interview with Craig Sager, LeBron James said that out of respect for Jordan, he plans on changing his number to # 6 next season.

Where do I start here?  First, let’s start with the latter. The LeBron number change will be discussed how many times over the next few months?  Hey everyone, this just in… LeBron’s lucky number is 6.

Now to the bigger issue.  I respect Jordan and his legacy, but I am not so sure how the Garden faithful would react if they had to sit through a Michael Jordan number retirement.  How long #23 would last in the rafters of 33rd and 8th?  

Just a thought… 

About Chris Alvino

Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →
  • Bob

    YOU KNOW WHAT I FIND IRONIC?in this 7sol offense the best shooters on the team are supposed to be padding their stats ,but i say that DANILLO would score more points if he were on a team with a more conventional offense,where he would get the ball,and his teamates would expect him to shoot oit,not on the knicks with d’antoni,those players dont even know gallo is on the same team.hes the best shooter on the knicks ,but takes the least shots……go figure

  • Jeff Cykiert

    He’s the best spot up jump shooter from 3. Unfortunately, that’s his only big strength offensively right now, and 3 point specialists can’t be taking 20 shots a game. Guys who do that are going to the hole and taking midrange shots off the dribble much more.

    The problem is that the people who we rely on to take the ball to the hole are inconsistent, and we have no pointguard who can find the right guys in the right spots (if the “right guys” even exist in any spots on this roster; it’s a long shot.)

    About the LeBron # change, at least toney can keep his number now…

    haha i kid

  • BiggieSmalls

    if they hang 23 up for Jordan inteh Garden they should tear the place down.

  • joetheknick

    In a word.Disprespect. After Michael Jordan how about hanging a Reggie Miller jersey in the rafters? None of this makes any sense. Miami marketing run a muk.

  • Sergio

    Why would we retire the jersey of the player who prevented us from winning a Championship?

  • jaknicksfan

    No Way! Why in the Hell would we Retire Jordan’s Number. I Have to Agree what’s next? Reggie Miller? Hakeem? Miami management are a bunch of Idiots!

  • josh h

    Makes no sense, they retired a Jersey of a player from ANOTHER team! I guarantee Jordan felt really out of place there. I just dont understand why they did this?

    We should have retired #31 once Jerome “cash money” James was traded.

  • JASONHAYES

    I guess this means Toney Douglas would’nt have to give up his Jersey. lol

  • Chris Alvino

    Haha… yeah that would’ve been funny…

  • vinrummy

    I think that this Michael Jordan retirement ceremony thing is something we’re probably going to be seeing in a lot of arenas in the next few months/years. And it’s going to be taking place in arenas with little to no fanbase (Nets, Grizzlies, Bobcats, Heat, etc.)….Basically any arena where the fans have so little pride in the team.

    It wouldn’t surprise me if down the road, the NBA pushes to have #23 retired in the rafters of every arena. It would be a tribute thing, kind of in the same way that all MLB teams have retired the #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson–NOT TO SAY THAT JORDAN’S LEGACY IS IN ANY WAY COMPARABLE TO ROBINSON’S. I guess the more appropriate analogy would be like how the NHL has retired #99 in honor of Wayne Gretzky. But have they put the #99 in the rafters of every NHL town (Because I know almost nothing about hockey I wouldn’t know)?

    In any case, MJ’s number being retired would seem totally unnatural in places like New York, Boston, Detroit…and Utah (haha).

  • walsh4x400

    This is crap. Lebron isn’t changing his jersey out of respect for Jordan. He’s changing it to make more money from new #6 Cleveland Cavs, Lebron James jerseys. Just like Kobe did in LA.

  • GMan

    All: I can take the losses, the off season missteps, marbury sitting on the sidelines playing Scorcese, i can even take the fact that LaBron ain’t never coming here, but if #23 is ever hung in our house, i will blow my brains out!

  • HaS

    Maybe if he died.

  • HaS

    Jackie Robinson wasn’t even the 1st African-American player to play in the majors that title belongs to Moses Fleetwood Walker.

    I think they will retire Jordan’s number in most if not all arenas after he dies.

  • InTheLou

    I beleive every mathimatical utilization of players have been used in 10 games. DNP Hughes, then he is number two in steals (still has speed and defense), everytime he breaks a sweat, you pull him. No five players have played 15 minutes together to get a flow, pure coaching failure.
    Duhon, why would you play him all these minutes and give yourself a four man scoring team? The blame will fall on D’Antonio soon, not the players. Too many teams great streak starts, then he changes the whole backcourt to loss momentum. Hey, we need a win now, who gives a darn who is playing, stop giving Duhon all these minutes, can’t you see what the stats are and the defense is worse. Hughes, Douglas and Robinson can handle the point till he gets his shot back in practice, not when we are 1-30. Walsh will probably take the fall, but D’Antionio should at least get some bad press, this is too easy.
    Why does Harrington not start, Hughes is your best defender, but you don’t use him to finish a game? Too many players learning to play with each other during the first ten games, no flow, moral is down, but two to three games could have been won. Coaching is awful, Hill bring s you back, then you yank him and change three more players. Why in the hell do you play Duhon when he ain’t duing anything. Lee looks tired, except after a 8 minute break. Duhon can handle the bench a game or two, let’s play with five guys who can hit 10 points. Over coaching, ruining his own teams moral. Tonight was a must win, schedule is worse now, why in the hell you play Robinson and Douglas so much? I am thowning in the towell.
    Lebron? Won’t work, he isn’t coming here with this cast or D’Antonio. Way worse than Cleveland, if the winning thang has any truth. Hughes took him to the finals, Duhon is not going to.

  • bduigs

    It won’t be a #6 Cavs jersey, it will be a #6 Knick jersey. A fresh start in a new town with a New Jersey (no pun int). Dr. J wore #32 for the New York Nets and switched to #6 when he went to Philly.

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.