The number 30 might forever be associated with Stephen Curry. That’s because throughout his 4-championship winning career, the Baby-Faced Assassin has always donned the same number. Most players, especially the great ones, have this in common; a jersey number that becomes synonymous with their career. So, what would cause a storied player to suddenly wear a different number on their jersey?
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Basketball researcher Leigh Ellis posed this question to Isiah Thomas. Zeke wore the #11 jersey during his career, popularizing it among his fans in the Motor City. But during a game against the Boston Celtics in 1985, the shifty point guard started the game with #42 on his back.
Thankfully for us and Leigh Ellis, Thomas saw the question online and took to his X account to respond.
“The leprechaun took my #11 jersey that night in Boston.”
The leprechaun took my #11 jersey that night in Boston @LeighEllis https://t.co/GPsR8zALXW
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) September 2, 2024
It’s hard to tell if Thomas is kidding here. Lucky the Leprechaun has been a staple of the Boston Celtics franchise since 1950, making him older than several NBA franchises. So, why would Zeke accuse the beloved mascot of stealing his jersey? Some fans think it’s all part of the Celtics’ psychological warfare.
While there isn’t evidence to suggest that this actually happened, NBA players have often complained about their treatment when playing on the Celtics’ home ground. During the 1984 NBA Finals, the Lakers alleged that the Celtics intentionally didn’t provide air conditioning to the visiting team, even when it was over 100 degrees outside.
A former Celtics player, M.L. Carr admitted that front office executive Rod Auerbach “just turned the cold water off” for visiting teams. An X user named ‘Top Player (Steely Phil)’ seemed to remember this era of the Celtics. He replied to Isiah Thomas’ tweet.
“He’s being serious. Boston Garden security used to f*ck with the opp locker room. Fairly common knowledge at least amongst the old heads.”
He’s being serious. Boston Garden security used to fuck with the opp locker room. Fairly common knowledge at least amongst the old heads
— Top Player (Steely Phil) (@ohsnapholdup) September 2, 2024
The above image was likely from the 84-85 season as the Pistons would have Chuck Nevitt wearing the #42 in November 1985. But whether it was intentional foul play or just luck, it led to the iconic image of Isiah Thomas shooting over Larry Bird in the wrong jersey. Interestingly, Thomas’ long-time rival, Michael Jordan has his own misplaced jersey story.
The Michael Jordan jersey heist in Orlando
February 14th, 1990, The Black Cat was in town for a game against the Magic and just hours before tip-0ff, Jordan’s iconic #23 jersey was missing. Failing to find a big enough MJ jersey in the stands, the team presented their star with the #12.
Superstitious as he was, Michael Jordan didn’t appreciate this. But he took his frustration out on the court, dropping 49 points on the Magic. It wasn’t enough for the win but it may have helped MJ overcome this superstition.
So, what happened to the jersey? A Magic security guard allegedly stole the jersey and stashed it behind a ceiling tile in the visitor’s locker room. It was found a few days later, just in time to give us an iconic game to associate the number 12 with Michael Jordan.
