5 Greatest NBA players who wore number 4 Jersey
National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world’s best basketball league, featuring a host of legendary players who not only were icons in the United States but attained fame all over the globe. During the course of it's 75 year history, a lot of things have changed in the league with the influx of TV money and technology but some things have remained the same.
Like every other sport in the world, some jersey numbers in the NBA have held special significance for players over the years. The reasons can be aplenty, be it superstition or a player looking to emulate his idol of the past. In this article, we look at the top five players who have worn the number 4 jersey in the NBA.
#5 Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is one of the best ball dominant point guards the NBA has ever seen, and has been voted the NBA MVP back in 2017. He has worn the number 0 jersey through most of his career thus far but took up the Number 4 when he moved to the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 NBA offseason.
While most of his career highlights and achievements have come wearing the Number 0 jersey, Westbrook will be looking to add to his long list of achievements and is still looking for his first NBA championship since breaking out as the 4th overall pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2008 NBA draft.
#4 Chris Bosh
Long before Chris Bosh moved to the Miami Heat to lead the team along with LeBron James to two successive NBA championships, Chris Bosh spent a total of 7 seasons wearing the number 4 jersey for the Toronto Raptors, a team for which he was drafted fourth overall during the 2003 NBA draft.
Players such as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony formed part of the 2003 draft class which is regarded as one of the best ever. While Chris Bosh never won an NBA title wearing the number 4 jersey and saw his Number 1 jersey retired by the Miami Heat, he makes this list as the fourth greatest player to have worn the number 4.
#3 Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr through the course of his career has attained a legendary status in the league. He has led the Golden State Warriors to three NBA championships in recent seasons and as a player, Steve Kerr was one of the best three-point shooters the league has ever seen. During his playing career, he won a total of 5 NBA championships, three with the Chicago Bulls and 2 with the San Antonio Spurs.
He wore the number 4 jersey in multiple seasons for three different teams, and won 1 NBA championship wearing it. Overall, Steve Kerr wore the number 4 for the Pheonix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs, and has a trophy cabinet that can put the best of players to shame.
#2 Rick Barry
Rick Barry is a NBA Hall-of-Famer who has a number of offensive scoring records to his name. He is the only player ever to lead the NBA, ABA and NCAA is scoring, and won the NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors back in 1975.
Rick Barry only wore the number 4 jersey for the Houston Rockets during 1978-80, but is one of the most illustrious players to have ever worn the number. He finished his career with a fiery reputation of being a temperamental scorer and led an ordinary Golden State Warriors to the NBA championship. He finished his career with a whopping 25,279 points overall!
#1 Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley is one of the most celebrated players in NBA history, and is one of the only four players to have registered at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. Barkley was a one-time MVP and made the All-Star team a total of 11 times through his career.
Although his best years came for the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphis 76ers, Charles Barkley wore the number 4 jersey for the Houston Rockets for a total of four seasons. The biggest regret that Charles Barkley will have from an illustrious career is the lack of an NBA title, with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls being the biggest reason why.