The Most Iconic NBA Players Who Wore Jersey Number 21 Throughout History

As I sat watching the recent controversial boxing match that ended in a draw, I couldn't help but think about how different things are in basketball. When that fighter said "to be robbed of a chance to make history, it's just sick," it struck me how in the NBA, greatness isn't determined by judges' scorecards but by undeniable performance on the court. This got me thinking about the incredible legacy of players who've worn number 21 throughout NBA history - athletes who never left their legacies to chance or subjective interpretation.

Looking back through the archives, Kevin Garnett immediately comes to mind as perhaps the most transformative player to wear 21. When he joined the Boston Celtics in 2007 after spending his first 12 seasons with Minnesota, he completely revolutionized their defensive identity. I still remember watching him during that 2008 championship run - his intensity was just unbelievable. He wasn't just playing basketball; he was conducting a defensive symphony, constantly directing teammates while putting up 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game that season. What many casual fans don't realize is that Garnett's impact went far beyond statistics - he changed how teams thought about defensive versatility, proving that a big man could effectively guard all five positions.

Then there's Dominique Wilkins, the Human Highlight Film himself. Having watched countless hours of his footage, I'd argue he was the most explosive dunker before Vince Carter came along. His 1988 scoring duel with Larry Bird remains one of my favorite basketball memories, even though I only saw it on tape years later. Wilkins put up 26,668 points over his career while wearing 21 for the Atlanta Hawks, and his seven 30-point-per-game seasons speak to his incredible scoring consistency. What I find most remarkable is how he maintained his athletic dominance even after returning from an Achilles tendon injury that would have ended most players' careers.

The number 21 has also been worn by some incredible big men who don't always get their due recognition. Joel Embiid, though he's worn different numbers throughout his career, made 21 significant during his early years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Watching him develop from an injured prospect into the 2023 MVP has been one of the great pleasures of recent basketball viewing. His 33.1 points per game in the 2022-23 season was just monstrous, and at 7 feet tall with guard skills, he represents the evolution of the center position in ways we couldn't have imagined twenty years ago.

We can't discuss number 21 without mentioning Bill Sharman, though honestly, my knowledge of his game comes mostly from studying basketball history rather than firsthand viewing. The four-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and 60s was an eight-time All-Star and helped pioneer the importance of shooting efficiency. His record of making 93.2% of his free throws in the 1958-59 season stood for decades, and as someone who values shooting fundamentals, I consider Sharman's technical precision to be foundational to modern basketball.

What strikes me about these players is how they each defined excellence in their own eras while wearing the same number. Unlike that boxer who felt robbed of making history, these athletes carved their legacies through undeniable achievement and transformative impact on the game. The number 21 in the NBA represents a thread connecting different basketball generations - from Sharman's fundamental excellence to Wilkins' aerial artistry to Garnett's defensive revolution to Embiid's modern dominance. As I reflect on their careers, I'm reminded that while judging controversies might plague other sports, basketball greatness tends to reveal itself clearly over time, and these number 21s have left marks that no subjective scoring could ever diminish.