The NBA and National Basketball Players Association announced on Thursday that the late, great Bill Russell will have his jersey No. 6 retired across the entire league.
The NBA and NBPA announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 11, 2022
Full release: https://t.co/jFjZwKtiB2 pic.twitter.com/LdXT4Mf8W7
An honor that is strictly reserved for all-time greats, Russell joins Jackie Robinson (No. 42) and Wayne Gretzky (No. 99) as the only players in United States professional sports history to have their jersey numbers retired across an entire league.
MORE: How Bill Russell revolutionized defense
However, even though no new players can wear the No. 6, players who currently don the jersey number — most notably, LeBron James — will be "grandfathered in" and can continue to wear that number if they choose.
Which current NBA players wear the No. 6? We have the complete list below.
Bill Russell jersey retirement: Which current NBA players wear the No. 6?
James is the most notable player who currently wears the No. 6.
While these players can all continue to wear Russell's jersey number in his honor if they choose, don't be surprised to see some players change their number heading into this season.
For example, when the great Kobe Bryant passed away, several players changed their jersey numbers from No. 8 or No. 24 to a different number.
Below, you can find the full list of players who wore No. 6 last season.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Utah Jazz |
| Moses Brown | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Shaq Buchanan | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Alex Caruso | Chicago Bulls |
| Zylan Cheatham | Utah Jazz |
| Gabriel Deck | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Hamidou Diallo | Detroit Pistons |
| David Duke Jr. | Brooklyn Nets |
| Bryn Forbes | Denver Nuggets |
| Melvin Frazier | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Quentin Grimes | New York Knicks |
| Montrezl Harrell | Washington Wizards |
| LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Keon Johnson | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Kenyon Martin Jr. | Houston Rockets |
| Jalen McDaniels | Charlotte Hornets |
| Jordan McLaughlin | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Kevin Pangos | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | Washington Wizards |
| Javonte Smart | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Lance Stephenson | Indiana Pacers |
| Rayjon Tucker | Denver Nuggets |
| Luca Vildoza | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Tyrone Wallace | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Lou Williams | Atlanta Hawks |
