| KU basketball has so many retired jerseys that | | | | historic Boston Celtics NBA franchise. Wilt |
| the numbers are not actually retired, instead only | | | | Chamberlain is widely considered to be the best |
| the particular jerseys are enshrined while current | | | | basketball player in the history of the game. Even |
| players recycle the famous numbers. If it were | | | | fans that argue that Chamberlain did not win the |
| not for this process of reusing numbers after the | | | | championships that Bill Russell did or have the |
| corresponding jerseys have been retired a | | | | athleticism of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant can |
| program steeped in as much tradition as the | | | | agree that Wilt Chamberlain personally dominated |
| University of Kansas would run the risk of actually | | | | an era unlike anyone else has ever done. |
| running out of numbers to outfit their current | | | | While the parameters for having jerseys retired |
| roster. | | | | vary from team to team and from sport to |
| The program which played its first season in the | | | | sport the guidelines at KU are actually pretty |
| nineteenth century (1898) under head coach | | | | straightforward. The test generally involves |
| Doctor James Naismith (the inventor of the game | | | | accomplishing at least one of the following |
| of basketball) has experienced such tremendous | | | | achievements: |
| success over the years that as of February, 2010 | | | | - Being named National Players of the Year by |
| twenty-six (26) jerseys have been retired. While | | | | either the National Association of Basketball |
| individually going through and scrutinizing every | | | | Coaches, the Associated Press (AP), or the |
| single retired jersey is beyond the scope of this | | | | Sporting News |
| article it is accurate to say that the gambit of | | | | - Being the winning recipient of either the John R. |
| enshrined jerseys spans from the curious number | | | | Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of Year, |
| 0 (Doc Gooden) to number 60 (Max Falkenstein - | | | | or the Oscar Robertson Trophy |
| a radio announcer). Max Falkstein holds the honor | | | | - Being named as a consensus All-American, the |
| of being the only non-player on the list of retired | | | | NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Big |
| jersey numbers. Mr. Falkstein, a 1948 graduate of | | | | 12 Conference Player of the Year, Academic |
| KU, is credited with founding the KU Sports | | | | All-American of the Year,or a two-time first team |
| Network and serving an illustrious sixty year | | | | All-American. These guidelines are just that |
| career (hence the retired number 60) behind a | | | | -guidelines. While these metrics serve as the |
| microphone where he covered over 1,750 | | | | general prerequisites they are by no means |
| basketball games and 650 football games - all for | | | | carved in stone and are subject to the discretion |
| Kansas. Each of the retired jerseys hangs proudly | | | | of the University of Kansas administration. |
| in the Lawrence, Kansas basketball arena known | | | | Given the pace of KU basketball retired jersey |
| as Allen Field House (named after famed former | | | | numbers and the rule that current players can |
| head coach "Phog" Allen). | | | | wear retired jersey numbers there is a decent |
| The two names that are generally considered to | | | | chance that sometime in the coming years the |
| be the best known amongst the list of retired KU | | | | University of Kansas will have to deal with having |
| basketball jersey numbers are those of Wilt | | | | the same jersey number retired by two different |
| Chamberlain (13) and Paul Pierce (34). Pierce is | | | | players. |
| currently a star player and NBA Champion for the | | | | |