theScore

10

Lou Williams

Williams carved out a 17-year career with six teams thanks to his mastery of instant offense off the bench. He's one of just two players ever with three Sixth Man of the Year awards, and he finished in the top three in voting three other times.

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9

Jimmy Butler

Butler wore 23 for only two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. He was named All-NBA and All-Defensive in Minnesota, but his stint there may be best remembered for a heated win in practice over his fellow starters.

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8

Marcus Camby

Camby wasn't a volume scorer like several others on this list, but he was a defensive specialist during his prime with the Denver Nuggets. He was voted Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and led the league in blocks for three straight seasons.

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7

Calvin Murphy

Despite being an undersized 5-foot-9, Murphy was instrumental in the Houston Rockets' 1981 run to the Finals. His average of 18.1 points per game in those playoffs was second on the team to another eventual Hall of Famer, Moses Malone.

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6

Mitch Richmond

Richmond only wore No. 23 for his first three seasons with the Golden State Warriors and his swan-song year with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he won Rookie of the Year in 1989 and was part of the Warriors' electric Run-TMC trio.

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5

Lou Hudson

Hudson spent the majority of his 13-year, Hall of Fame career with the Hawks, starting in St. Louis and moving with them to Atlanta in 1968. "Sweet Lou" averaged 20 points in six straight full seasons, earning an All-Star nod in each.

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4

Anthony Davis

Davis dropped 23 when he was traded to the Lakers, but he stacked up an impressive resume in New Orleans. By the time he left in 2019 at the age of 26, Davis was already a six-time All-Star and three-time pick for All-NBA.

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3

Draymond Green

Green has frustrated many throughout a 13-year career, but there's no denying his importance to the Warriors' dynasty. Despite being undersized at his position, the veteran has anchored multiple defenses and captured four titles.

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2

LeBron James

James isn't just one of the best to ever wear No. 23 - he's among the greatest to ever play the game. His 2016 title with the Cavaliers remains Cleveland's only championship in any major professional sport since 1964.

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1

Michael Jordan

Nobody is more synonymous with 23. Jordan wore it as the Chicago Bulls won six titles in the '90s. But the number became hot well before those championships. His jersey was nearly stolen in the Orlando locker room in 1990 and supposedly went missing anyway after that.

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