Where have all the big numbers gone?
Maybe I’m just clinging to my youth. Maybe it’s late July and there’s nothing going on. But when I heard that Mark Williams would be wearing No. 15 for the Phoenix Suns, something about it didn’t sit right.
Mark Williams (@MarkWi1liams) will wear No. 15 for the #Suns. Number last worn by Jalen Bridges in 2025. #NBA pic.twitter.com/tChil7m7Y5
— Etienne Catalan (@EtienneCatalan) July 25, 2025
Sure, he wore No. 5 during his time with the Hornets, and yeah, he can’t wear that here because it’s up in the rafters for
Dick Van Arsdale. So he’s going back to his Duke days with No. 15. Fine. But still...fifteen?
He becomes the 16th player in Suns history to don the number, joining a lineage that includes Jalen Bridges, Cameron Payne, Marcus Morris, Robin Lopez, Vinny Del Negro, and Danny Manning.
But I have to ask: What happened to the big numbers?
There was a time when centers wore their size on their back. Patrick Ewing: 33. Hakeem Olajuwon: 34. Shaq: 32 in Orlando, 34 in L.A. Even in Suns’ lore, bigs embraced bold numerals. Oliver Miller rocked 25. Alvan Adams? 33. James Edwards? 53.
There’s just something about those meaty numbers, ones that don’t lean on the digit “1.” They look right. Balanced. Brazen. Aesthetically powerful.
But lately, it feels like every player wants to be under 20.
Of the 465 players to wear a Suns jersey in their long, 58-year history, 54 different numbers have been represented. And 238 of them — more than half — have chosen numbers under 20.
I get it. There’s usually a story. Sentiment. Personal history. I’m sure No. 15 means something to Williams. But still, wouldn’t 28 look better? That number’s only been worn once, by Andrew Lang back in the early ‘90s. How about 45? Last seen on Justin Jackson. Or 50, which hasn’t been touched since Eddie House in 2006.
If you’re big, be big. Be bold. Be dominant. Own it. Don’t wear a number that also belonged to Daniel Santiago and Sedric Toney.
But again…maybe this is just a late-July rant about things that don’t matter. Or maybe the numbers still do.
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