Former NBA guard Mario Chalmers revealed that some players will pay $10,000 in order to get a teammate’s jersey number for themselves.
“I done seen it happen before,” Chalmers said when asked about players paying for jersey numbers.
Dwight Howard chimed in to say players will spend a few thousand on a jersey number. Chalmers revealed that sometimes players will go up to $10K.
It makes sense that NBA players would have to incentivize each other to give up a number, especially if there is some attachment to it.
Howard and Chalmers said that things usually go well when players decide to engage in a transaction around a jersey number.
“I ain’t never seen it go bad,” Chalmers said when asked if things usually go well.
There’s certainly some sentimental value for players when it comes to a number, as it may be one that they’ve worn during their professional careers or during a time earlier in their lives.
Chalmers wore two numbers during his NBA career. He was No. 15 with the Miami Heat and No. 6 with the Memphis Grizzlies and Heat. After beginning his career with No. 6, Chalmers switched to No. 15 for the rest of his Heat tenure – the same number that he wore in college at the University of Kansas.
A two-time NBA champion in Miami, Chalmers last played in the NBA during the 2017-18 season with the Grizzlies. During his playing career, the former second-round pick averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from 3.
Howard, an eight-time All-Star, was a little different from Chalmers in his NBA career. He wore several different jersey numbers, although No. 12 was the number he wore during his peak with the Orlando Magic.
Howard also wore No. 21, No. 39 and No. 8 during his NBA career. He last wore No. 39 while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 season.
It’s interesting to hear Howard and Chalmers give some inside information about the NBA, especially since fans may not know how often players exchange numbers with each other because of trades, free-agent signings or other reasons.
