Best NBA Players Who Wear Number 1
Choosing a basketball jersey number is no easy decision. The jersey number will likely follow you through your high school and college career and, if you do make it to the NBA, may also follow you into the major league’s.
And with so many fans and followers identifying players by their jersey number, you will want to choose a jersey number that not only best represents you but also one that has some meaning to it.
If you are looking to get some inspiration on a jersey number and are looking to see what jersey number’s your favorite players wore, then look no further.
Below, we are going to review the best NBA players who wear the number 1 jersey and hope that you may get some inspiration in choosing your own jersey number.
Tracy McGrady
Perhaps the most famous NBA players to wear the number 1 jersey, Tracy McGrady is a former NBA player who most notably played for the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets.
In addition to the Raptors and the Rockets, McGrady played for the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks, and the Detroit Pistons.
One of the most adept and proficient shooters of all-time, Tracy McGrady was inducted into the Naismith memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
And during his time in the NBA, McGrady would be a 7-time NBA All-Star, a 2-time All-NBA First Team, and a 2-time NBA scoring champion.
Born in Bartow, Florida, McGrady was a relatively unknown player. However, after a strong performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp, he would emerge as one of the premiere players.
McGrady himself would state, regarding the Adidas ABCD Camp:
Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was. Sonny Vaccaro gave me that platform, and I played against the best players in the world at that time. I left that camp the No. 1 player in the nation, 175 to No. 1
And while McGrady had originally considered playing for the University of Kentucky, he ultimately declined to do so and made himself eligible for the NBA draft immediately after high school, being selected as the ninth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA draft.
Derrick Rose
Another great NBA player to wear the number 1 jersey number, Derrick Rose is a prominent and all-star player whose career has been mired in injury and setbacks.
Derrick Rose grew up in one of the toughest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago’s South Side. The youngest son of Brenda Rose, Derrick was raised without a father figure, reportedly with his father having left his mother when she was pregnant with Derrick.
Currently, Rose plays for the New York Knicks and was drafted first overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA draft. Named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009, Rose also became the youngest player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2011 at just the age of 22.
Chris Bosh
One of the premiere center’s and big-men of his generation, Chris Bosh also notably wore the number 1 throughout his time in the NBA.
Having played in the NBA for 14-years, Chris Bosh made a name for himself as an adept, fluid player who was capable on both the interior of the rim and towards the three-point line.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Chris Bosh would become a Texas Mr. Basketball awardee and played one season for Georgia Tech before declaring himself eligible for the 2003 NBA draft.
As an NBA player, Chris Bosh had a storied and tantalizing career. A 2-time NBA champion, an 11-time NBA All-Star, and an NBA All-Rookie First Team, Bosh would also have his jersey number retired by the Miami Heat.
Penny Hardaway
Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway, is a former NBA player who played in the league for 14 seasons. The current head coach for the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team, Hardaway was drafted 3rd overall in the 1993 NBA draft.
Having played high school basketball at Memphis for Treadwell High School, Hardaway would average 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.9 steals, and 2.8 blocks as a senior and finished his high school career with 3,039 points.
Having attended the University of Memphis, Hardaway would play for the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks, and the Miami Heat in the NBA. And although he was an adept player, he was never able to secure an NBA championship.
Chauncey Billups
The premiere point guard for the Detroit Pistons, Chauncey Billups played 17 seasons in the NBA. Having played college basketball at the University of Colorado Boulder, he would average 18.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game over his two seasons with the team.
Selected 3rd overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, Billups would shine with the Detroit Pistons, whom he played for from 2002 to 2008.
During his time with the Detroit Pistons, Chauncey Billups would win an NBA championship in 2004 and would be named the NBA Finals MVP. A 5-time NBA All-Star, he would also have his number 1 jersey number retired by the Pistons.
Oscar Robertson
Although Oscar Robertson was known as “the Big O”, he was one of the earliest players to play with the number 1 jersey number.
A two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame for his individual career and as a member of the 1960 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, Robertson was one of the best players to play in the NBA of all-time.
Named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team, the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Robertson was known as an all-around player during his time in the league, averaging a triple-double over his first five seasons in the NBA.