Who Wears Number 4 In The NBA?

A number of professional basketball players have worn the number 4 throughout the years. Here are some of the most notable ones.

Number 4 in the NBA

Number 4 is traditionally a defensive player in the NBA. They are the enforcers of the team who make sure that the other team does not score. They are also the player who is tasked with shutting down the other team’s best player. However, there are some players who have worn number 4 and have been successful scorers.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominant players in NBA history, wore #4 his entire career. A 7-foot-1 center, “Shaq” was an unstoppable force in the paint, winning four NBA titles and three Finals MVPs. He also became one of the most popular figures in the game off the court, thanks to his larger-than-life personality.

LeBron James

Number 4 in the NBA is LeBron James. He is a shooting guard/small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He has won four NBA championships, four NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals.

Other Notable Players

The number 4 has been worn by some of the NBA’s biggest names throughout the years. Here are some other notable players who have donned the number 4.

Michael Jordan

His Airness. The G.O.A.T. These are just a few of the nicknames that have been bestowed upon arguably the greatest player to ever grace a basketball court: Michael Jordan. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 17, 1963, Jordan was raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. He went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he captivated audiences with his incredible leaping ability and won a national championship in 1982. After being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick in 1984, Jordan quickly became one of the league’s best players and helped lead the team to six NBA championships in the 1990s. During his illustrious career, Jordan was named an All-Star 14 times and won six NBA Finals MVP Awards. He also claimed five regular season MVP titles and became the only player in NBA history to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award (1988). In addition to his record 10 scoring titles, Jordan also holds the NBA records for highest career scoring average (30.1 points per game) and most seasons leading the league in scoring (10). He retired from basketball for a second time in 2003 but remains active as majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets.

Magic Johnson

Earl Joseph “Magic” Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and current president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and another championship in 1987.Johnson retired abruptly from basketball in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for good. As a result of his happy marriage with Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly since 1991 and effective antiretroviral therapy, Johnson announced that he was HIV-free in 2007. Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan to 10 children on August 14, 1959. His mother rescued him from a burning house when he was only eighteen months old. He began playing organized basketball when he was nine years old under coach George Yardley who later became his high school coach at Everett High School where Magic quickly became a sensation due to his unique combination of size and agility which allowed him to see over defenders and make plays other players couldn’t make. In high school he averaged 28 points per game and led his team to numerous state championships including a 27-1 record during his senior year where they only lost one game by one point.

Larry Bird

Larry Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships, and is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. A versatile player, Bird was a superb shooter and rebounder who could also pass and defend. He led the league in scoring three times and was a four-time NBA All-Star.