Tag Archives: basketball

Why is the number 69 banned in the NBA and NCAA? (Part 1)

The number 69 has never appeared on the back of any player in the history of the American Professional Basketball League (NBA).

Throughout the history of more than 70 years, NBA has been through generations of players, but no one wears the number 69 shirt. Many rumors are woven when talking about the number 69 from feng shui elements, unlucky to sensitive meaning.

The NBA has never confirmed or issued a law banning players from choosing a number 69. However, the tournament once prevented a player from choosing the number 69. That person is basketball legend Dennis Rodman.

The jersey number 69 is rejected by the NBA and NCAA

In his final NBA season, Rodman decided to join the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-time NBA champion initially chose the number 69. Even Mavericks president Mark Cuban had some of Rodman’s 69-printed shirts on and kept until today.

Dennis Rodman has an average of 14.3 rebounds after 12 games in the last NBA season.

Rodman was then not allowed to wear the number 69. NBA president David Stern then refused to let the number 69 appear for the first time in history. “The NBA rejected the number 69. Rodman decided to choose the number 70. 69 + 1,” added journalist Marc Stein of the New York Times.

The late President David Stern is the great president of the NBA with many reforms and great contributions to making the tournament popular worldwide. He once stopped Chris Paul from joining the Los Angeles Lakers, despite the deal being completed.

The reason given by David Stern was “related to basketball.” At that time the Lakers were very strong under the guidance of the late Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul’s joining will make the tournament unbalanced.

If David Stern had a reason for stopping Chris Paul from joining the Lakers, then the refusal to let Rodman use the number 69 was not clear. The NBA or David Stern have never explained why Rodman was not allowed to use the number 69 in the last season of his career.