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Michael Jordan - Jordan played 15 seasons for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, where he almost exclusively wore jersey #23 throughout.

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Michael Jordan - He was the greatest athlete to ever wear jersey #23. The number has become synonymous with Jordan's success as a basketball player, and though other athletes have shared the number, none of them live up to Jordan's legacy.

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LeBron James - Another one of the best basketball players of all time, LeBron James has used #23 for most of his career.

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LeBron James -

He used #6 during his time with the Miami Heat, but switched back to #23 upon his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and now with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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David Beckham -

While the soccer superstar wore the famous  #7 jersey for Manchester United and  England, he wore #23 for Real Madrid and the LA Galaxy.

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David Beckham -

He actually wore #23 in tribute to his favorite basketball player, Michael Jordan. And fun fact: while playing for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, he wore #32.

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Mark Teixeira - Mark Teixeira was first baseman for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees.

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Mark Teixeira - Teixeira chose #23 while playing for the Yankees in honor of his childhood idol, Don Mattingly of the Miami Marlins.

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Don Mattingly - The baseball legend was a former Yankees first baseman who made six straight All-Star Games from 1984 to 1989.

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Don Mattingly - He was the only Yankees player to have his number retired despite the fact that he never won a World Series with the team.

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Bob Nystrom - Nystrom played for the New York Islanders of the NHL.

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Bob Nystrom - Famous for scoring the winning goal in the 1980 championship race and bringing his team their first Stanley Cup, his jersey number was retired with him.

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Ben Hansbrough - The basketball player joined the Indiana Pacers for one season.

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Ben Hansbrough - The 2012-2013 season was the only one in which Hansbrough shared a jersey number with the greatest of all time.

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Marcus Camby - Camby played 17 seasons in the NBA for the Raptors, Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Rockets.

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Marcus Camby - Camby adopted #23 after getting traded to the New York Knicks, and wore it for the rest of his career.

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Metta World Peace - Metta World Peace is a Lakers legend, although he spent time with several other teams.

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Metta World Peace - Jersey #23 was just one of seven numbers he wore throughout his career. He spent his time as #23 with the Indiana Pacers.

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Mitch Richmond - The basketball player was on the Warriors, Kings, Wizards, and Lakers throughout his career.

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Mitch Richmond - Richmond only wore #23 during the beginning and end of his career. While playing for the Lakers, he helped them win a championship.

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Shelden Williams - The basketball player's career took him across three continents: North America, Europe, and Asia.

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Shelden Williams - Williams wore his #23 jersey during his collegiate basketball career at Duke, as well as throughout his time with the Timberwolves and Nuggets in the NBA.

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Stephen Graham - Graham was not a very strong player, but he managed to spend time on several NBA teams, including the Rockets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Pacers, Bobcats, and Nets.

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Stephen Graham - He was #23 from 2007-2010 with the Pacers, Bobcats, and Nets.

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Travis Leslie - The shooting guard was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, for whom he wore #23.

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Travis Leslie - He is currently playing in Poland (but not with jersey #23).

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Ryne Sandberg - For 16 years, he played as second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.

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Ryne Sandberg -

After he was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame, he became the fourth Chicago Cub player to have his number retired.

See also: Diehard fictional sports fans in TV and film

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