Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

NBA Denied Alex Caruso From Changing His Number To Honor Bill Russell Because His Jersey Is Too Popular

On July 31, Bill Russell, one of the greatest NBA players in history passed away.

Russell was an 11-time NBA champion (1957, 1959–1966, 1968, 1969), 5- time NBA MVP (1958, 1961–1963, 1965), 12-time NBA All-Star (1958–1969), 11-time All-NBA Team member, 4-time rebounding champion and a 2-time NCAA champion.

Russell, who also won two NBA titles as head coach of the Celtics, has the NBA Finals MVP award named after him, and in 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his many years of civil rights activism.

Because of his great importance in both NBA and civil rights history, the league honored Russell by retiring his number 6 jersey league-wide.

Players currently wearing 6 on the back of their jerseys are allowed to carry on wearing that number. One of these players is Chicago Bulls wingman Alex Caruso. The fan favorite however decided that he also wanted to honor Russell by opting for another number immediately.

However, because Caruso is ranked within the top 75 most sold jerseys, the NBA told him that he couldn’t change his number. His jersey was simply too popular to make the change worth it for those who bought his uniform.

Alex Caruso said he did give some thought to changing No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell but was told he couldn’t because his jersey is in top 75 for jersey sales. All teams are wearing No. 6 patches on uniforms. Said he would revisit decision next season.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 26, 2022