Number selection holds deep significance for athletes across all sports.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers initially wore No. 23 to honor his idol, Michael Jordan, but later switched to No. 6 to signify his personal growth. He returned to No. 23 after No. 6 was retired league-wide in 2022 after the passing of Bill Russell.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick wore No. 7 during his high school years in Newport News, Va., and retained it throughout most of his NFL career as a core part of his identity, making the number iconic for future generations.
And Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players ever, is closely associated with No. 10, inspired by legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona, who also wore the number.
Whether driven by personal expression, cultural significance, superstition or legacy, most athletes have meaningful reasons for choosing their jersey numbers. Before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Knicks and Boston Celtics, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns shared theirs.
Brunson, who wears No. 11, has long admired Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP and former Brooklyn Nets head coach who wore No. 13 for most of his playing career. He got to wear No. 13 when he first entered the league with the Dallas Mavericks, following in Nash’s footsteps.
“I met him when I was younger,” Brunson said of Nash following Wednesday’s shootaround in Boston. “I had the ability to reach out and knew that he’d respond. I don’t want to say he’s a mentor, but he’s someone that if I really wanted to, I know that he’d respond. I have that respect for him and from what I’ve seen he has that respect for me also.”
Brunson also adopted elements of Nash’s game, incorporating them into his own.
“I mean, kind of started — I don’t want to say started, but when he would dribble under the basket and everyone would have to fan out and all of the sudden, he’s alone with the big in the midrange and the big doesn’t know what to do,” Brunson said. “I feel like I learned that from him. I learned a lot. I think he revolutionized that.”
However, when Brunson signed with the Knicks as a free agent in 2022, No. 13 was already taken by forward Evan Fournier, who had six more years of NBA experience. Brunson didn’t object, choosing to avoid conflict with his veteran teammate. His next choice was No. 1, but it was taken by another veteran, Obi Toppin, so he settled for No. 11 and kept it even after Fournier was traded to the Detroit Pistons.
Over time, No. 11 became an integral part of Brunson’s identity.
“Not going to lie, we don’t really talk about this that much, but seeing little kids wear No. 11 around the Garden, it’s a special feeling and I didn’t want to change my number,” Brunson said.
Towns, who wears No. 32, has long been inspired by Magic Johnson, a five-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, and one of the greatest point guards in basketball history. Their shared positional versatility, despite their size, easily explains his admiration, but it doesn’t tell the full story.
The 7-foot center also chose No. 32 to honor his father, Karl Towns Sr., who wore it while starring at Monmouth University, allowing him to pay tribute to two influential figures in his life.
“He made his teammates better and he had a lot of flair with it,” Towns said of Johnson. “For me to be able to see someone like that who made his teammates better who also scored and was able to impact the game in all statistical categories, it was really cool for me to see someone like that. He was always smiling, and I was always a smiling kid and cracking jokes, so it resonated with me.”
