RETIRED JERSEY NUMBERS
#32 Bill Walton Ceremony: February 3, 1990 (Pauley Pavilion) Bill Walton, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor), Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Denise Curry, had their numbers retired in a ceremony at halftime of the UCLA-DePaul game. This ceremony was the key moment in UCLA’s “Pauley at 25” celebration during the 1989-90 season and marked the first time that any UCLA basketball numbers had been retired. All four players earned consensus All-America honors three times, the criteria used for deciding which of UCLA’s outstanding players should have their numbers retired. All four players are in the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Mass.) and the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. Notes on Bill Walton One of the best all-around centers ever to play college basketball, Walton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 … he was inducted into the GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1994 … as a player, was very skilled offensively, intimidating defensively, and could rebound and start a fast break as well as anyone who ever played the game … starting center for three seasons (1972-74) after starring with the Bruins’ freshman team in 1970-71 … led UCLA to two NCAA titles and a combined record of 86-4 … played on the only teams to record back-to-back 30-0 seasons … his teams won their first 73 games, as UCLA won an NCAA-record 88 consecutive games … three-time consensus All-America selection and Player of the Year … ranks first in career rebounding with 1,370 (15.7 rpg average) and second in field goal percentage (.651) … ranks third in career scoring average (20.3 ppg) and 11th in career points (1,767) … holds UCLA’s single-season rebounds reocrd (506, for a 16.9 avg) ... twice registered 27 rebounds in one game (one shy of that record) … was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1974 NBA Draft (Portland Trail Blazers) … averaged 13.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg in a professional career marred by injuries … led Portland to the NBA crown in 1977 and also helped Boston win the 1986 NBA Title … was a charter member of the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (1984) … was named a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 1999 … in 2003, became a lead NBA analyst for ABC/ESPN.
(left to right) Sidney Wicks, Marques Johnson, Walt Hazzard and Ed O’Bannon at their 1996 jersey retirement ceremony.
#33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) Ceremony: February 3, 1990 (Pauley Pavilion) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton became the first two men’s basketball players to have their uniform numbers retired at UCLA. The special ceremony at halftime of the UCLA-DePaul game on Feb. 3, 1990, served as the key moment in the “Pauley at 25” celebration in 1989-90. Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Denise Curry also had their numbers retired during the special halftime ceremony. Abdul-Jabbar and Walton earned consensus All-America honors three times. Both players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Mass.) and the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. Notes on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, was the great offensive force of his time in college basketball history … he was the recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 1994 … Abdul-Jabbar was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 … played center for three seasons (1967-69) after starring with the UCLA freshman team in 1965-66 … led the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships (1967, 1968, 1969) and a combined record of 88-2 … was the only player ever selected Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four three times … was a three-time College Player of the Year and three-time consensus All-America selection … ranks first in career scoring average (26.4 ppg) at UCLA … ranks second with 2,325 points and 1,367 rebounds (15.5 average) and third with his .639 career field goal percentage … established UCLA records for single-season points (870 for a 29.0 average) and single-game points (61 against Washington State as a sophomore) … was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks ... played 20 seasons for Milwaukee and for the Los Angeles Lakers … selected MVP six times ... won six NBA titles (five with the Lakers) and holds the league scoring record with 38,387 points … charter member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame (1984) … was a 2003 Pac-12 Hall of Honor enshrinement selection.
#35 Sidney Wicks Ceremony: February 1, 1996 (Pauley Pavilion) Sidney Wicks’ jersey number was retired in a halftime ceremony on Feb. 1, 1996, just the second such retirement ceremony in UCLA basketball history. During halftime of the UCLA-Oregon contest, UCLA retired the numbers of Wicks (35), along with No. 31 Ed O’Bannon, No. 42 Walt Hazzard and No. 54 Marques Johnson — all National Player of the Year selections during their collegiate careers at UCLA.
Bill Walton
Notes on Sidney Wicks A three-year letterman (1969-71) and two-year starter (1970-71), Wicks was instrumental in leading UCLA to three straight NCAA titles under head coach John Wooden … at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, he was UCLA’s leading scorer and rebounder in 1969-70, averaging 18.6 ppg and 11.9 rpg as a junior ... that year, he directed UCLA to its sixth NCAA championship and fourth consecutive national title … as a junior, Wicks was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Final Four and earned National co-Player of the Year acclaim from the Helms Athletic Foundation … as a senior co-captain in 1970-71, he led UCLA in scoring (21.3 ppg) and rebounding (12.7 rpg) as the Bruins won their seventh national crown (fifth in a row) … he earned Player of the Year honors from the USBWA and The Sporting News in 1970-71 … Wicks enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA after being selected No. 2 overall in the 1971 NBA Draft (Portland Trail Blazers) and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1972 ... he served for four seasons as an assistant coach on Walt Hazzard’s UCLA staff (1984-88) … Wicks was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.
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